A taste for blood
by Redfern
Summary: The cruel game Lucius starts around Christmas leads up to a shocking, heated relationship in a true Malfoy style. Real corruption is possible only when desperate need has been created...Graphic LuciusDracocest coming up. Welcome inside...
1. The Christmas trial

**A TASTE FOR BLOOD**

Just so we get this straight: This fic contains an incestous, twisted relationship with some graphic details to come. I'll use any flames to light candles for a better world...  
Oh, and please let me know if you liked what you're about to read. Hugs to ya.

**17th December: Christmas trial**

It was the very first day of the Christmas holidays when the games began.  
Draco almost ran the last few yards to the front doors to avoid the heavy snowfall, which was threatening to break out into a real storm. He was determined not to look a mess when entering the hall of his family home, knowing that his father would hate it. Narcissa, however, was walking calmly behind him, set on keeping her stylish dignity at all costs.  
Draco turned to wait for her at the last step with the most impatient glare he could manage while shivering violently from the cold.  
Naturally, this did not affect Narcissa the slightest and both of them were quite ruffled by the cruel wind before they finally set foot in the blessed heat of the Wiltshire manor.  
By some unknown divine intervention, Lucius was not waiting for them inside and Draco hurried off to his private quarters as soon as Narcissa had reminded him of all the guests they were expecting for Christmas.  
His mother had been picking him up at the train station in London, all according to costume, to bring him home after his first half of the fifth year at Hogwarts. They had both surveyed Draco's grades very carefully, discussing all the merits and faults. As usual, his father would only concentrate on the faults, so building up a good defence through well-laid preparations was absolutely necessary.  
Draco entered his private bedroom and shut the door behind him before throwing himself on the bed with an exhausted moan.  
He knew it would be better to get clean and change clothes immediately. Lucius seldom waited very long before calling him in for a review of the recent term.  
But what could he possibly have to say this time?  
Draco had been appointed prefect and done a very good job, his grades in DADA, Potions and Broomstick Flying was outstanding and he had even managed to improve in Divinations and Charms. No Quidditch game had been lost against the Gryffindors and as far as he knew, Potter's reputation was still horrid among the students.  
But Draco knew better than that.  
He found it astonishing how his father could harbour such contempt for the half-giant Hagrid and yet reproach Draco so hard about his grade in Care of magical creatures. And his father always found unexpected things to remark about. Always.  
Draco sighed and rose from bed, starting to pull his travelling clothes off. He might as well fix himself up to be presentable and get it over with.  
The last garments had hardly fallen to the floor when the door opened and Malfoy senior stepped in. Lucius never knocked. It was his house and he walked about it as he wished.  
Draco felt the critical weight of the cold grey eyes hit him and cursed for throwing his robes all around the room while undressing.  
"You did not announce your arrival to me." Lucius sounded just as cold and uncaring as always and it took another member of the family to notice the accusing edge in his voice.  
Draco straightened up and did exactly the regretful expression that he thought his father would like to see.  
"I'm sorry, father. I thought I'd just change clothes…"  
"Indeed."  
Lucius were eyening the mess on the floor with open dislike before letting his gaze examine Draco from head to toe.  
Draco stood absolutely still although the room was freezing and he wished to enter the bathroom as quickly as possible. He tried not to look too impatient. Now, what could come out of this? '_Draco, you haven't been training enough' _or '_Draco, your hair is a mess! Fix it!' _or _'Draco, there's a birthmark on your left knee that wasn't there six months ago'.  
_Instead, Lucius nodded with a quite bored expression and put his hand on the doorknob.  
"I'll see you in my office in half an hour."  
And then he was gone. Just like that.  
But nothing of this surprised Draco. He knew for certain that any displeasure he might have caused Lucius would be accounted for, either now or later. Without further delay, Draco entered his private bathroom to prepare for the traditional Christmas Trial in his father's office.

No more than one knock was needed on the office door before the cold, authorative voice rang through it.  
"Enter."  
Draco did as he was told and strode with quiet steps over the thick carpet before stopping before the huge desk. His father had not yet taken his attention from some parchment he was scribbling on and Draco waited in absolute silence. Only the sound of the thirteen-numbered clock above the fireplace was heard.  
Draco took the opportunity to study the stern features of Lucius as the older man seemed sharply focused on the document he was editing.  
The silver-blonde hair hung loose, but was neatly stroked back in place. Only a few shining strands of hair fell over the serious face, making a tasteful contrast to the stone grey eyes. Draco had studied those eyes many times, hoping to find but the slightest sign of approval or fatherly affection in them. Sometimes he thought he could see something akin to genuine interest in him flickering by, but fearing that he might fool himself, he did not dare to think it.  
After all, taking interest in anyone but himself would be so unlike his father.  
A few minutes later, Lucius put down the quill and faced him.  
No. Not a hint of feelings anywhere.  
"Sit down, Draco."  
Draco sat down immediately. The colder Lucius seemed, the more eager Draco became to please him.  
"So." Lucius pushed the scroll showing Draco's grades over the table with calculated superiority. "Can you tell me what this is?"  
It was really tricky to come up with a good answer. Draco had no idea where the conversation was heading and he knew even less what Lucius expected from him. His father always invented new ways of torturing him during a conversation.  
Draco shifted uneasily in his chair. The time was almost up for a fitting reply.  
"That's my grades, father."  
Draco bit his tongue as soon as he had said it. He desperately hoped that his father wouldn't find the answer insulting, but the sneer meeting him did not leave much to hope for.  
"No, Draco." Lucius hissed, getting to his feet with a very dangerous gaze. "I call that failure!"  
Draco froze in his chair and his heart started to pace quicker as Lucius left his side of the desk and walked up to stand less than a feet from Draco.  
"Stand up!"  
Draco obeyed, the fear heavy like a cold stone in his stomach.  
The burning slap in his face made Draco flinch slightly, but he didn't dare to move anymore than the blow forced him to. Any sign of fear would send his father into a fury ten times worse than this.  
"How is it" Lucius continued, "that a filthy mudblood has four more O's than you?"  
Oh. So this was it. The old matter of the mudblood Granger and her unnatural feats.  
"The teachers, father." Draco answered, trying to sound unmoved by the recent show of physical threat. "They give Granger certain merits because of her involvement with Potter."  
Lucius snorted contemptuously.  
"Really? But what about your efforts, Draco? Did it even once occur to you that your test results could have brought you the same grades? Provided that you had been paying enough attention to your books?"  
The words struck Draco harder than he dared to admit. He had been struggling so hard to please his father this year, pushing beyond his own limits to manage the Prefect position, the Quidditch training and the tests, despite his complete lack of free time to use.  
Draco swallowed to hold any feelings at bay, but the diplomatic answer he intended to give somehow twisted itself around in his mouth and came out in an unexpected shape.  
"I _did_ pay attention to my books."  
Lucius took a firm grip of his chin the moment the words left his mouth.  
"Is that so?" His father's voice was but a whisper, matching the recent strength of Draco's own voice.  
"Yes." Draco answered, determined to hold his ground now that it was to late for repair anyway. And the cruel suggestion that he had ignored his father's will this term despite his huge efforts, was too painful to remain unquestioned.  
"Professor Snape thought me outstanding as a Prefect although he was well aware that it stole valuable time from my studies. And even so he thought my results in the Christmas exams to be most satisfying."  
"Did he now? Well, then there is but one problem left to solve." Lucius used his silkiest voice, despite the hardening grip on Draco's chin.  
This was an alarming sign that told Draco to be absolutely silent from now on and agree with anything his father might say. Lucius released his chin and grabbed Draco's arm very harshly, pulling him towards a door behind the desk. Draco was too frightened to protest and followed obediently, while Lucius kept talking in a normal voice that did not fit into the situation very well.  
"The problem is, you see, that Snape is a Potion's teacher and you are the heir to the Malfoy empire."  
Draco was pushed into this unknown room and Lucius locked the door behind them with a very resolute wrench of the key.  
"Furthermore, I am your father and the head of the empire and you are supposed to follow my directory and not Snapes."  
Draco only nodded, trying not to panic in the small room he had been dragged into. All he could see was a four poster bed and a fireplace. Nothing more would fit in there. And the fact that he had been forced into such a secluded room meant that he was up for a beating.  
Lucius wasted no time.  
"Place yourself by the bed." He said. "By the right post. Move!"  
Draco did so, with only a moment's hesitation. It was not just the punishments that made him hate to disappoint his father so much. He would have given anything to make his father understand how much he had sacrificed to achieve the results he did this term. Why was it just never enough?  
"Turn around."  
Lucius made a slight gesture with his hand and Draco acted against his survival instincts and faced the bedpost. Then his father stepped up closely behind him and Draco held his breath not to start hyperventilating as his wrists were suddenly caught by a strong hand and guided above his head.  
"_Edethio_."  
Draco gave a start as the tip of Lucius' wand struck his hands. Within seconds, tight ropes held his hands tied to the bedpost.  
This started to emanate into something really scary. Draco couldn't remember the last time Lucius had actually tied him up. All he knew was that he had underestimated the effect of the small protest he had made. He had gotten away with worse things than this, hadn't he? What could possibly have been provoking enough for this in his simple statement about Snape?  
When Lucius unhooked Draco's robe and let it fall to the floor, Draco writhed a little and made a wild try to get out of the awkward situation.  
"Father, I am sorry if I…"  
"Silence!" Lucius ripped Draco's shirt off as if to state the seriousness of his reply.  
Draco felt his heart make a frightened jump and feared it would stop from the unbearable tension. Then his father seemed to back away for a moment and next, he felt a small, light piece of leather touch the nape of his neck.  
"How sorry are you?"  
Lucius mouth was so close to his ear that Draco shivered uncomfortably from the tickling sensation the words caused.  
The world exploded in red pain before Draco had a chance to answer. The unmistakable sound of a horsewhip striking with full force was heard again and Draco couldn't quench his cry completely this time.  
"I said: How sorry are you?"  
"REALLY SORRY! Father, PLEASE…!"  
"Are you begging, Draco? What have I told you about begging?"  
Several hard blows rained down on his back again and there was no way he could keep from screaming out loud.  
The whip must have cracked his skin open. He was sure of it!  
"STOP! STOP! I take EVERYTHING back, I…"  
But the whip kept sending streams of fire across his back and finally the forbidden happened. Draco couldn't contain his tears anymore, even though he knew his father condemned crying more than anything in the world.  
But when the first audiable sob came up, the whip stopped working and the scene froze in a very tense moment.  
But Draco couldn't care less what happened to him. The truth was that his father's plain anger with him struck a hundred times harder than the whip and he wasn't sure about if the tears came from the physical pain or from this fact.  
Draco kept crying, expecting to feel a new lash at any moment. But the seconds passed with no visible reaction from Lucius at all. Then the wand touched his hands again.  
"_Kathacio_."  
The ropes loosened and Draco fought to regain his normal breathing when he felt Lucius cold hands directing him to turn around. Before he knew it, he was caught up in an impossible event.  
His father held him in a close embrace, carefully avoiding touching the fresh wounds on Draco's back. Tender fingers were stroking his hair, soothing the throbbing headache somewhat.  
Draco had no idea what was going on. All Lucius actions were way above his head, but he gave in to whatever he had to do if only to make this moment last but a little longer.  
Surely, it was another cruel game. But even if nothing was real, he needed the moment so desperately that it hardly mattered.  
"Calm down, Draco."  
The soft whisper worked as a spell on Draco's self-control. The tears stopped coming and Lucius inspected his face carefully to wipe every remaining tear away from his cheeks.  
"Father, I really tried, I really did…" Draco whimpered, at a loss about how to handle the strange situation.  
"Hush now, Draco. I know that."  
Was it for real?  
But the hands guiding him to sit down on the bed felt real enough, although his back burnt with such an agonizing intensity that there was no denying what had just taken place either.  
"Let me see your back."  
Lucius placed himself behind Draco on the bedside, letting soft fingers press around Draco's neck while a finger slid down the injured back, strategically avoiding the wounds by twisting and playing around them.  
Draco's nerves tensed like a rubberband about to snap.  
Expecting to feel the finger stab into a wound at any moment, he was surprised to find it ended by the small of his back and lifted only to land at his cheek.  
"Tilt your head slightly." Lucius whispered, pressing the soft jaw upwards with a firm, clawlike grip. "Like that, yes."  
Draco's head was moved in a position as to expose the side of his throat and it certainly did not help him to calm down.  
Something unexpectedly soft brushed against his neck and suddenly a harsh bite made bloodred spots explode in front of his eyes.  
The sharp teeth had him caught as mercilessly as the ironlike fingers, digging into his skin to hold him in place.  
The pain was engulfing and it was impossible to remain still, or to prevent the whines and whimpers from leaving his lips.  
Pure panic shot into his head, right through the increasing cloud of pain. Some very important veins were there, right where the teeth was. How far did his father intend to go on this punishment?  
But before the teeth went fatally deep, a warm, wet tongue tasted the tender skin instead and a stinging ache rising from the intense sucking replaced the knifelike one.  
It was still hard to breathe and Draco's heart seemed to hammer frantically inside his chest, as if to alert him about the lack of sanity in this situation.  
He had no idea where this was heading anymore. All he knew was that he had to fight to keep his fear in check and cooperate until his father decided to let him go.  
His thoughts went dull and elusive as fog by the bite, as if Lucius sucked his blood out like a vampire. He winced repeatedly and felt his skin prickle and his stomach twist several turns, the tension becoming unbearable.  
Then, without warning, he was released and Lucius stood up beside the bed, beaming with a strange smirk at him.  
"Put your robes on. We're done for now and it is nearly time for dinner."  
And then, in his usual manner, Lucius turned abrubtly and walked out the door, leaving Draco more confused than ever.  
He knew only one thing for sure.  
His father had started a new, strange game. He could recognise as much. And where it was about to end, nobody knew but Lucius.


	2. Attention

Hi and thanks for the positive reviews!  
They were inspiring enough to get the second chapter done in no time (while I was supposed to work on an article...sigh.)  
Oh, and yeah, it's true about the paragraphing. It never quite looks like it did before uploading it and I'm sort of brainwashed with keeping the paragraphing according to writing rules, even though it looks bad on _fanficiton._  
However, I'll try tothink out a plan to make it neater. Promise.  
One of you used the word freaky and I really liked it. It's getting a lot freakier, trust me!;)  
Anyways, hope you'll like this one as well.  
Love from Redfern.

**18TH DECEMBER: ATTENTION**

The breakfast at Malfoy manor always got Draco to think that they were making a perfect parody out of their own family. All three of them were sitting on different ends of a huge polished table, ridiculously far from each other. Lucius seemed to like it in his corner though, as he sat by the high seat of the table, deeply concentrated on what the _Daily Prophet_ had to say this morning.  
Draco didn't mind his ignorance. Not at all. Those few mornings when his father did not focus his full attention on the morning paper, he always used the time to criticise Draco or put new demands on him that he had come up with.  
No, this morning it was his mother who would offer uncomfortable inquiring.  
"Draco, what on earth is that on your neck?"  
Draco felt his insides freeze as a response to her words, but he kept his bored morning expression in careful check. Had his father left a mark last night? He was always so careful not to leave any visible signs of beatings!  
"I'm sorry mother, what did you say?" he answered, throwing her but a quick glance before averting his eyes to the plate again.  
Narcissa sighed.  
"Really, Draco. You could hide it!" And then her tone changed to sound more curious as she leant her elbows the table and fixed him with a sharp gaze.  
"You haven't even told us who your girlfriend is!"  
"What?" For a moment Draco was at a loss.  
Then he almost dropped his fork as the blood rushed to his face and started to sting his cheeks uncomfortably.  
Oh no. This was too much.  
"I-I was dating Pansy at the Christmas ball." He murmured, careful not to lie and likewise to avoid the truth.  
It hadn't occurred to him until now what Lucius painful bite on his neck must look like and the mere association made him lose all appetite.  
Draco glanced at his father very carefully to see how he reacted to all this.  
Lucius still had his mind on the morning paper, but a content smirk had taken shape on his face.  
So his father found this amusing! Then was this part of some twisted plan, did Lucius _want_ to see him confront Narcissa with this?  
Probably. It would be a so typical invention of his father, this sort of humiliating punishment.  
"May I leave the table, father?"  
Lucius took his time to lift his gaze from the paper, before surveying Draco's plate carefully.  
"But you haven't finished eating."  
The response was very calm and calculating. Without waiting for an answer, Lucius returned to the paper and left Draco alone with Narcissa's prying eyes.  
His mother sighed again, this time in a more dreamily fashion.  
"So you're dating Pansy seriously, are you? My little dragon, you are growing so fast! Before I know it I'll be making wedding arrangements…"  
Now it was Lucius turn to sigh, although exclusively with impatience.  
"Our son is still in school." He informed her coldly. "Draco, you may leave the table now."  
Draco was so grateful for the lucky break, that he did not question his father's decision twice. He made it back to his rooms as quickly as humanly possible and dashed into the bathroom.  
The mirror confirmed his fear overwhelmingly.  
The mark on his throat was still red on its edges, but had turned violet and blue over the night and was bound to draw immediate attention to him with its size, easily one and a half snitch wide.  
Oh. Shit.  
The first guests for Christmas were arriving tonight! Could his father possibly have picked a worse time for this little demonstration?  
Maybe it was planned. Perhaps Lucius had figured it all out, prolonging this punishment to make it last several days, leaving Draco with spying, curious guests who would just die to know all about some girlfriend that Draco would be forced to dream up!  
No. This wouldn't do.  
His irritation rising, Draco opened the small medicin cabin and dug out the right bottle.  
He wouldn't allow his father to go this far!  
The small potion in his hand was the same one that Lucius used to hide the Dark Mark with and he only needed to apply a thin layer on his skin to hide any unwanted sights there.  
He was ready to rid himself of the evidence on his throat, and nearly dropped the bottle on the floor when he looked into the mirror.  
His father was right behind him!  
Draco spun around as his heart almost came to a halt and leaned backwards against the sink.  
He probably looked terrified, judging by the reproaching sigh and stern gaze from Lucius.  
"Really, Draco!"  
Draco dared not to move, even as Lucius strode up to him and reached for the bottle. Their hands brushed against each other for a moment and two pairs of cold grey eyes met.  
"No." Lucius said, with the most determined voice Draco had ever heard him use.  
Then he simply took the bottle and seemed to size the frightened relative up.  
This broke Draco's frozen state somewhat and he straightened up from the sink to meet his father with the proper reaction. The fact was, this morning had been absolutely dreadful and he wasn't going to let a small show of weakness ruin the rest of the day.  
He was actually quite annoyed by the interruption and the feeling of exposure in front of his mother and it helped him meeting his father's gaze defiantly without any emotional slips.  
"I'm sorry, father." Draco said very formally. "I was only thinking about the guests."  
To his surprise, Lucius responded with a heightened eyebrow and a sly smile, leaning forward to lay his free hand on Draco's cheek.  
"How very considerate of you."  
Draco twitched only slightly by the gesture, not really caring if this was the prelude to another beating.  
After all, these were the small moments he savoured, when his father actually touched him in a pleasant way, so that he could pretend for a moment that Lucius could like him just the way he were.  
And Lucius continued to smile at him, suddenly brushing his thumb lightly against Draco's lips.  
It caused a tingling, itching sensation, not at all unpleasant, but …weird.  
"But I have a much better idea." Lucius continued, putting the bottle down on the shelf below the mirror before placing his hand on Draco's other cheek, as if to hold him in place.  
"You see, the mark needs to be there…"  
A warm kiss touched Draco's forehead and he winced.  
"…so that the guests will understand…"  
Now the lips were at his eyelids. He closed his eyes.  
"…that you are unavailable."  
Draco opened his eyes as he reflected on the mysterious statement but before he could ask questions, his father kissed him again…on the mouth.  
It was just a chaste kiss, but as Lucius released him and drew back, Draco stood dumbstruck by the unique tenderness that had just taken place.  
Nothing even remotely like this had ever happened and even though it was needed as much as water for a dying plant, it was just too much to hope for that the display had been genuine even this time.  
No. In the Malfoy Manor games were played and his father was the unannounced master of manipulation.  
As Lucius simply smiled at him and left the bathroom, Draco immediately started to brood on the words as he left the house for the stables.  
He needed to get out of this place, out of the madness!

It was a very liberating feeling, galloping across the snowcovered fields and forests surrounding their family home. The wind was cold and harsh and some snow had started to fall, but the stinging air only helped to clear his head.  
After a little while he had started to shape a good theory around his father's words. Several pureblood families were to show up at Christmas, along with their children, of which some were in Draco's age.  
This mark on his throat could in other words be a demonstration of Lucius dislike of having any of the girls in these families to wed Draco.  
The marriages in these old, noble families was always arranged and the normally these engagements were settled with the families closest to your own.  
But what if Lucius had simply decided that none of the Friend Families had good enough material?  
Then, of course, it would be all too convenient having making it look like Draco was already involved with someone.  
It would be very typical for his father. So very typical.  
Draco sighed and in his head he started to list the female comrades who were coming over for Christmas.  
Pansy Parkinson was the first bet, of course. Draco had never really had any stronger feelings for her more than a quite shallow friendship, but she had been very fitting to attend the ball with, having the right looks and family.  
Then there was Millicent Bulstrode. But there was really no need to get worked up about her. She was just a hangaround that Draco hardly ever spoke to at all.  
Crabbe also had a one year older sister, but the pure thought of her made Draco shiver unpleasantly.  
The last one was Edwin Notts younger sister. She was attractive no doubt, but…Draco couldn't seem to get any heated feelings for her even though he had secretly tried to fantasize about her as with the other girls.  
Draco analysed this for a moment.  
Well, he wasn't very good with feelings in general. Most emotions that passed through him was so distant, as if someone else felt them, that it was hard to know for sure when he really felt something.  
The only person who could force strong moods out of him was, as always, his father.  
Draco shook his head to himself, realising that if it was as he thought about this anti-marriage action, then he wouldn't mind much anyway, since none of the present girls were important to him. It was, after all, much more important to keep his father content.  
He took a short, fast ride through the edge of the forest and returned home when most of the tensions concerning the strange morning had left him.

As soon as dusk had coloured the sky sharply dark blue, the Parkinsons and the Notts arrived.  
Draco had changed clothes and managed to look decent just in time to recieve the guests in the entrance hall along with his family.  
There were lots of formal greetings and in some cases, kisses on the cheeks.  
That was his mother kissing cheeks, of course. Until earlier this day, Draco hadn't believed his father capable of kissing at all.  
As the visitors were guided to one of the receiving rooms to have drinks or tea, resting in front of a warm fire to relax while the house elves carried all luggage to their rooms, Draco came up with a clever idea to test his theory.  
Lucius was not the only one who could play games in this house.  
He glanced over to the adults, as he conveniently had both Nott's sister Rowan and Pansy at his side.  
The parents still stood up by the fireside, discussing something with great amusement in their voices.  
Lucius looked absolutely striking, the fire playing tricks with the reflections in his moonpale hair and his dark robes leaving better access for adding some colour to his eyes.  
Draco looked just long enough to make sure his father would notice it and as soon as Lucius gaze slided over to him, he looked away, straight at Rowan, and bent forward to kiss her on the cheek with a charismatic smile.  
"I'm so glad you could come." He whispered to her, watching with content how her cheeks turned a little red as she struggled to answer.  
Expectantly, an immediate response rose from Pansy, who grabbed Draco's hand and leaned close to him, her jealousy obvious to anybody in the room.  
Draco answered her by kissing her cheek too and released her hand to put his arms around her instead. All the time she held her black eyes fixed on Draco's throat.  
And his father was watching.  
He knew this, because he could feel his gaze burn right across the room, through clothes and skin and everything.  
A quick glance told Draco that the experiment had succeeded.  
Lucius probably seemed relaxed to any bystander, but Draco could see in his eyes that the test wasn't taken lightly at all.  
The usually cold eyes were now darkened and lively, showing signs of suppressed fury.  
Even his mother seemed to notice, as she hurriedly excused herself as to go and check how the dinner was progressing.  
Narcissa always fled or ignored any rising conflicts and to Draco she might as well have been a ghost in their house.  
Lucius suddenly flashed a smile at him, much in the fashion of a shark, and made an inviting gesture with his hand.  
"Draco, why don't you come over here? I think you'd find this interesting!"  
As usual, that was not really a question.  
But to Draco it felt very satisfactory to see that he was able to twist his fathers temper around as much as Lucius could twist his. The soothing touch of a vengeance managed was still on him and he wanted to see how far he could push this, now that the guests worked as a fitting barrier for his father's otherwise so unlimited reactions.  
"In a moment, father." Draco answered in a loyal, devoted voice. "I'll just see the girls up to their bedrooms and then I'll be right down."  
He was dying to see how his father would intercept this one!  
It turned out it wasn't very hard at all.  
"_Now_, Draco." Lucius responded in a low, but undeniable hiss.  
That brought Draco back to the reality of the consequences he might be facing if he didn't obey at once.  
But he was happy to oblige. This sort of protective attention his father showed him now, he had rarely ever been the subject of.  
It was all too pleasant, being guided to stand in front of Lucius, facing Mr Parkinson, while his father's hands rested on his shoulders, the fingers digging only slightly too hard into the flesh.  
All while Lucius upheld the conversation before him spotlessly.  
This was the closest to fatherly affection he had ever come and it felt great.  
He liked Lucius possessiveness, liked the fact that he had managed to bring it out of his older sire so easily.  
Years of trying everything and failing had finally brought some success.  
Only later that evening he would understand that he had played Lucius right in his hands.

As dinner came to an end, Draco was sleepily content. Lots of activities awaited the next day and would compensate for all the serious talk between the adults about politics, the Dark Lord and how bright the future was, now that he was back to life.  
As everybody headed to their private rooms, Draco followed the example and was convinced he would get a good night's sleep after a quite successful day.  
He had barely closed the door to his bedroom when a strong hand gripped his arm and sent him into the wall.  
Lucius was suddenly standing before him, grabbing his upper arms to keep him pinned with his back against the cold stone surface.  
His father's eyes were really matching the stone and the deceptively calm expression on his face did not fool Draco at all.  
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucius asked, rhetorically enough.  
"What do you mean, father?" Draco tried, swallowing hard as he could see that it was the wrong response.  
"Answer me, Draco!"  
One of the hands holding him in place suddenly sneaked behind his head and gripped his hair so harshly that Draco gave a frightened start.  
"Ow!"  
"I said, answer me!"  
It was useless to avoid the subject now.  
"I was just…" Draco gasped. "Um…figuring out about the mark…on my throat."  
The fingers tightly entangled in his hair loosened slightly.  
"Really?"  
Lucius arched an eyebrow characteristically, not looking very convinced.  
"Yes! I promise, father!"  
"And…"  
The hand started to stroke the blonde strands of his hair, in a very intimidating, intimate way.  
"…did you find an answer to your question?"  
Lucius was still very serious, but the voice was less threatening.  
"Yes, father. I think so."  
The fingers ran through his hair much slower now, touching the skin beneath it in a way that sent odd, pleasant shivers through his spine.  
"Let's hear it then."  
"You…don't wish me to…court any of the girls here."  
It was hard to concentrate on anything but those fingers. His heart was beating faster to prepare him for a sudden turn to extreme violence, but again he savoured the pleasure of a moment's bliss.  
"How very observative, Draco. And?"  
Draco frowned at the question, not exactly sure about what else his father wanted to hear.  
"And…that's it."  
Now a smirk finally crept over his father's face. Lucius shook his head slowly, with mingled amusement and disappointment showing in his aristocratic features.  
"Oh, Draco." He whispered, leaning his face a little closer. "You must think my plans to be simple indeed."  
The hand still holding Draco's arm moved up to touch the mark on his neck.  
Then Lucius warm lips brushed against his forehead, continued to his temple and kissed it, all while Draco found himself caught up in a pleasurable dizziness from the caresses on his neck and in his hair.  
He didn't dare to move, or rather, he didn't want to.  
Not now, not right now.  
A kiss was planted on his cheek and in the far back of his head a small alarm clock had started to sound, saying that this wasn't normal, the way his father touched him and the strange arousal rising from it.  
But it was yet too vague to be fully understood and he wanted to ignore it, just a little longer.  
Then his father's lips met his, much more demandingly than last time, tasting his lower lip and nibbling at it, before letting his tongue push into Draco's mouth.  
Draco made a loud quenched gasp, startled into his senses. The hand in his hair had grasped for the blonde strands again, keeping his head firmly in place and the small alarm clock suddenly made ear-deafening noises.  
They were kissing!  
He was standing here in the bedroom with his father alone and they were doing something…wrong. Unspeakable. Dangerous. Sick!  
And he was moving his own tongue in response!  
Draco's hands flew up to push his father away. The panic made him lay real force in it and the kiss was broken as Lucius suddenly stumbled one step back, meeting Draco's gaze only with slight surprise.  
"STOP!" Draco shouted. "WAIT!"  
He was breathing unevenly, all adrenaline suddenly flooding his veins in fear of his father's unknown reaction to the rejection.  
But Lucius only smiled mockingly at him, nailing him to the spot with a thriumphant gaze, seeming to read Draco like an open book.  
Draco felt his cheeks turn hot and averted his eyes.  
"What are we doing?" He managed to get out, the words stumbling on each other.  
At this, a quiet laughter met him. But a heartbeat later, Lucius was deadly serious.  
"Honestly. Did you never think about the mark?" Lucius said, as he walked over to the door and opened it. "About who claimed you?"  
Then he calmly walked out, closing the door silently behind him.  
And Draco found his knees unable to support him and sank down to the floor,leaning againstthe wall with a frantically beating heart.


	3. Truth

Hello again and thank you so much for continuing your reviewing. As I've written before, it helps the inspiration a lot! This time I managed to finish my deadline at work, a nine pages long article, AND write another chapter on the pure waves of relief!:)  
Oh and to Verronica: You're absolutely right. The language wasn't quite accurate in the last chapter. I'll blame the late hour and my swedish descent. It was written and posted a little too quickly. But I'll make you a promise to read it through a second time in the future, even though my nationality'll never make the grammar perfect.  
And to all of you reading: Your compliments and comments are a warm hearth in a cold season. I can only hope to keep your interest as the story proceeds. Lots of hugs!

**19TH DECEMBER: TRUTH**

Sleep was a precious ally that refused to visit Draco this night.  
When his eyelids finally became too heavy to stay up, after hours of agonized brooding, it was less than an hour to breakfast and no time seemed to have past at all when the frantic knocking on the door started.  
"_Draco? You're late! We're waiting for you!_"  
Without opening his eyes, Draco made his reply sound dynamic and alert, as if he had been awake for hours.  
"I'm on my way, mother!"  
"_Five minutes!"  
_Draco groaned and stumbled out of bed with heavy limbs and a severe headache. At least he could hear Narcissa's footsteps becoming fainter as she moved away from his door.  
This day was going to be terrible. If nothing else, his rotten morning temper told him so, as he dug out the silvery pocket watch from his robes and realised just how little sleep he had caught.  
And all the events of yesterday were still fresh in his head. Thinking about it only made his head spin in the same circles as it had done during the night, when no sensible conclusion had surfaced.  
Then again, most of the night had been wasted on trying to find any explanation, anyone at all, except the most obvious one to his father's behaviour.  
It was with great bitterness Draco finally made his way down the stairs to have breakfast with the guests.

A number of curious eyes were upon him as he sat down at his usual place by the great table, making an effort to wipe out the sneer from his face and transform it into a smile.  
He could feel Lucius watching him too, but he was set on ignoring it. Instead he turned to the assembled in his usual polite manner and made his voice spotlessly correct.  
"Excuse me. I had to…see to some important business with the servants about the cleaning."  
There. The perfect lie.  
And immediately the room was buzzing with discussions about the efficiency of the house elves and stories about mistakes they had made in the private homes of the guests.  
As expected, there was a sign of approval from Narcissa and none from Lucius.  
He threw a careful glance in their direction.  
His father seemed caught up in his role as the perfect host and used his irresistible charm that he never showed in private to catch admiration and respect from his visitors.  
Well, _almost_ never showed in private.  
Draco glared at his schoolmates cynically, as they eagerly talked about their plans for the day. They dragged him into the conversation too and he participated in it automatically, but inside a black cloud was shaping.  
He could bet a thousand Galleons that none of his friends had any problems even near the one that Draco had now. They just sat there with no bigger issues than what to wear for Christmas and none of them were visibly forced to participate in scary, insane games with a parent!  
In fact, they all seemed to have slept very well and glowed with enthusiasm.  
Pansy was desperate for his attention and Rowan threw angry glances at her, all while Edwin kept him involved in an advanced conversation about politics.  
When the breakfast nightmare finally came to an end, Draco was more than grateful to leave the company of the adults and disappear to the frozen lake to skate with his three comrades.  
He would have preferred being alone, but getting out of his father's sight was a great relief, since Lucius' presence made him extremely nervous.  
But his exhausted brain was working furiously with finding a plan that enabled him to escape his duties and get some well-needed sleep.  
And as he had feared, his privacy was invaded all too soon.

They had barely started to walk through the new-fallen snow before Edwin made himself and Draco fall behind the girls a few yards.  
"Hey, Draco! Who is it?"  
Edwin spoke in a low, conspiratorial voice and seemed to miss the fact that Draco started to fight the dark impulse of ripping his tongue out.  
"What are you talking about?" He replied, hoping that his voice contained enough warnings about the subject.  
But the arrow obviously missed its goal.  
"Oh, come on! You're not fooling anybody with that mark! It must have happened after you left school, 'cause it wasn't there on the train home."  
Perfect. Stuck with an inquisitive genius who didn't know when to stop.  
"No, it wasn't." Draco answered, his voice carrying icy spikes that were almost visible.  
Edwin frowned and looked insulted.  
"Okay, cool down. No reason to get edgy!"  
That did it. Draco stopped and faced him so suddenly, that Edwin had a start and took a step back when Draco drew his wand out.  
"I'm…not…edgy!" Draco hissed, feeling close to murder.  
Edwin's face got paler by the second.  
"You're not edgy." Edwin echoed, as if some basic survival instinct took control over him.  
Then Draco simply put his wand down and started to walk with long strides to catch up with Pansy and Rowan.  
Some of his urges to make somebody pay for his bad mood were satisfied and besides, he had come up with a plan about how he would be able to spend the day alone.  
When they reached the lake, it was obvious that only a small part of it would be good for skating. The ice was getting dangerously thin about ten yards out as could be seen by the darker surface.  
Draco realised that he was going to need his best acting talents to pull this off.  
"Aaw!" Pansy moaned. "I'll barely be able to make eights! Draco, isn't there any other lake?"  
"No, but don't worry!" Draco said in a cheerful tone. "I know this lake like my inner pockets. It's just a trick of the light on the ice. It's not thin at all!"  
As he had counted on, Edwin argued about it, fixing an anxious gaze on the ice, and Draco saw the perfect moment.  
"Right. Then we'll test the ice, just in case."  
He took the safety rope from Edwin and fastened it to a tree in front of three doubting pair of eyes. Then he grabbed a good hold of the rope and advanced out on the lake, making sure that his lifeline was winded several turns around his hands, just in case. After all, this was just supposed to _look_ like an accident.

Naturally, the house got into a state of turmoil as Draco returned soaking wet, the frost already clinging to his hair, even though Edwin as lended him his robe and supported him all the way back to the manor. Rowan and Pansy had drawn their wands almost at the instant Draco had fallen through the ice and pulled him up in the blink of an eye.  
Still, the shock of the cold water was impossible to prepare oneself for and Draco was genuinely shaken by the freak accident he had created. He was freezing down to the bone as if he would never be warm again.  
As his mother accompanied him up to his room with a thousand reproaching words, he silently rejoiced, knowing that his father was out of the house, showing the grounds to the guests like a proud ruler. Draco would have hours to sleep undisturbed and since he had been involved in an accident, he hoped for once that Lucius would treat the situation like he always did if Draco was ill.  
By staying away until Draco no longer showed any signs of weakness.  
The house elves had prepared his room with extra covers and a big pot of warm tea and as he was finally left alone, he laid trembling for a while with chills rushing through the body, before drifting off to a merciful sleep.

When he woke up, there were tears in his eyes.  
He drowsily wiped them away, trying to remember what he had dreamed about. Limbs aching with fever, he focused on the clock beside the bed.  
Ten past twelve.  
He had slept undisturbed all day and well into the night. His stomach was growling with hunger. He couldn't believe his mother hadn't been up to at least check on him at and wake him up for dinner. He was ill, damn it!  
And Lucius seemed to have reacted all too familiar.  
The hunger was so intense that he thought he smelled food in the room. A moment later he understood why.  
There was a lidded bowl beside the bed, shimmering with a common servant-spell to keep the food warm. So at least somebody had been sensible.  
Draco ate most of the spicy chicken soup before discovering a painful thirst for cold water.  
He hated the way the fever played with his body!  
With some effort he rose from the bed and put on a simple robe, before wrapping a cover around him. There should be a house elf around to bring the icy liquid up from the kitchen.  
A quick glance at the hallway outside the door revealed no sign of life and he decided to walk down the stairs, quite certain that a night servant would be near.  
In the library, close to the stairs, he found a fire was burning and the tiny elf that had replaced Dobby a few years ago almost ran into him in the doorway.  
It looked panick-stricken under Draco's glare.  
"Just get me water." Draco murmured. "And make sure it's stuffed with ice."  
The elf piped something and ran off. Draco sighed and was just about to turn around when he discovered that somebody was sitting in the armchair in front of the fire, with his back to Draco. A few silvery strands falling forward over some old pages in an open book revealed it was his father.  
Draco froze to the spot for a second, before slowly starting to walk backwards out of the room.  
"Come here, Draco."  
Damn it!  
Draco approached the fireplace with careful steps, hoping that Lucius would remember that he was ill, whatever he planned to do.  
As he finally stood next to the armchair, his father did not even look up from the book he was reading when addressing him.  
"Sit down."  
Draco looked at the other armchair next to the fire, but decided to place himself on the soft fur in front of it, since the heat from the fire would soothe the shivers from the fever somewhat.  
He held the cover in a tight grip around him, feeling a strange safety from it, while staring into the fire and awaiting his father's next move.  
But the silence was not broken and Lucius kept reading his book, as if Draco wasn't there at all.  
Finally, Draco felt compelled to speak.  
"I would have come down for dinner, father, if somebody had come to wake me up."  
There. Just so his father knew he hadn't missed it on purpose.  
"I made sure you weren't disturbed." Lucius replied, without taking his eyes from the book. "Since you caused quite a scene to escape your duties, I thought it proper to discuss this with you in private."  
Draco felt his stomach turn to ice.  
"Mother was quite worried." He said timidly, hoping to direct the conversation to a question about his health instead.  
"I really wouldn't know." Came the chilly answer."Your mother and I have not talked a lot for the last fifteen years."  
At this, Draco turned his head and stared at Lucius, who were still caught up with the book, looking as calm and unreadable as ever.  
What was this? A personal piece of information from his father?  
"You can't keep falling through thin ice, Draco."  
Draco looked back to the fire as Lucius lifted his gaze from the pages and viewed him coldly.  
"So, you should tell me about your little scheme now. After all…" His father returned to the book. "…you have _nobody else _to talk to."  
Clenching his teeth together, Draco struggled to get the words out correctly. He wanted to protest, but found no argument to oppose the statement and he wanted to throw accusations about his loss of sleep last night, but that would be close to suicide.  
Instead he controlled his temper and played along, as was the clever thing to do.  
"What would you like me to speak about, father?"  
"You can start with explaining to me why you thought your arranged accident would solve anything."  
Lucius still had a calm voice, but it carried a small edge of accusation that cautioned him about lying.  
"I needed to be alone."  
"Indeed."  
"And I needed to sleep and…think. I didn't sleep a lot last night."  
He didn't dare to look at Lucius, but he could see in the corner of his eye how the older Malfoy closed the book and put it aside. Then he had that critical attention upon him again.  
"I will not have you running from your responsibilities. The rest of your life will be flooded with them and you will need a lot more discipline if you are to manage the expectations people will put on you."  
"I know, father."  
"Your personal will has nothing at all to do with the name you are bound to honour. It is my name too, Draco, and it is my personal concern every time you step out of line. Do you understand?"  
"Yes, father." Draco answered, but the rage was building up inside from the injustice.  
Lucius arched an eyebrow, very demandingly.  
"This is never going to happen again, is it Draco?"  
"No, father."  
But before he could stop himself the frustration boiled over and he added:  
"Not if you don't make it happen."  
"What was that?"  
Lucius voice was sharp as a razor now and he rose from the armchair.  
Draco leaned back against the armchair behind him with a small whimper as his father squatted down before him, grabbing his shoulders threateningly.  
"Father, please! I'm ill!"  
"You have yourself to blame for that!" Lucius snapped. "And you better listen carefully. You will be thrown into an arranged marriage like every Malfoy before you and there will be no friends, Draco, only convenient allies that are not chosen for your liking. And most importantly, there will be no one to trust. You will not even be able to turn your back to your future wife for a second, lest she stabs you with a knife to control the family fortune herself! That is your future. Now tell me where this childish behaviour fits in!"  
Draco blinked.  
He couldn't remember having such a long speech directed to him from his father ever. Not this long, not this personal or painstakingly filled with truth.  
Throwing such a harsh reality in his face was a lot worse than a common slap or a punch.  
He struggled to melt the information, but it was too much of a shock upon him at once and he started to grasp for words instead.  
"I-I'm sorry, father."  
"You should be. And you can choose to deal with this alone, shutting everyone out from your private misery, or…"  
Lucius eyes were glowing in a very rare, open fury.  
"…you can turn to the only person who really understands you at all."  
Draco was almost holding his breath now, fighting to swallow the unwanted tears that tried to surface. He couldn't even explain why he needed to cry, he just knew it was a bad idea at the moment.  
"I'm sorry, father. It will not happen again."  
His voice trembled a little and he clutched the cover even tighter, but to his surprise, Lucius simply released him and rose to his feet.  
The expression in his father's face shifted from anger to an unreachable coolness so fast, that Draco started to suspect it had all been a game to attain something.  
With Lucius you never knew.  
But the illusions that had shattered from the brutal statement were still mourned and the panic rising from the realisation of what it all meant was so engulfing that the fever seemed to increase to the double.  
But his father simply lifted his book from the armchair and faced him one last time before heading out of the room.  
"Go to sleep now, Draco. I expect you to be in time for breakfast tomorrow."  
Then he left Draco alone with his thoughts.  
Draco stared into the fire alone for a long time before returning to his room.  
As he shut the door behind him, he turned to the cold decanter by the bedside and put out his thirst desperately.  
Then he wondered if his father meant for him to sleep at all, as the first tears started to spill.


	4. The serpent's kiss

Hello again and as usual, thanx for reviewing!  
Hope you'll like this one as well, with its little twists and turns...  
And please keep informing me about what you think. ALL opinions help!  
Love Redfern

**20TH DECEMBER: THE SERPENT'S KISS**

If waking up yesterday had been dreadful, it was death this morning.  
At least the ten first seconds, when his mouth felt dry like a desert and his head was spinnig enough to make it plain that the fever had increased over the night.  
Then he noticed that someone held a hand on his forehead.  
Draco opened his eyes slowly and tried to focus on the visitor.  
His father was sitting at the bedside, possessing the same cool air as always, but he was touching Draco, even though it must be obvious about the illness.  
Now, _that _was weird.  
Lucius was acting strange again, just like two days ago, but he had seemed to be his normal self only yesterday.  
Draco sighed. There was no way of figuring it out. But he couldn't say that he minded it much, since the cold hand eased the fire in his head quite a bit.  
"You will receive a potion shortly." Lucius said, his tone distant as if he was asking a stranger about the time. "Then your health will return within hours."  
Draco glanced at the clock by the bed. A quarter to six.  
What in the world was his father doing up so early and why was he spending the time sitting in Draco's bedroom?  
It was two hours left until breakfast!  
And again, he bitterly counted the hours of sleep he had gotten to three in total. The conversation last night that had wrecked his chances for a good sleep was coming back to him and at once his father's presence felt all the more important, but also horribly unsettling.  
This was not normal.  
It was almost against nature, having the head of the family taking a personal interest in his health.  
A sudden thought struck him, that Lucius might have been replaced, that somebody tried to impersonate him through a Polyjuice potion!  
But when he met his father's eyes again, he threw the idea aside immediately.  
"Has something happened, father?" He dared to whisper, in a small attempt to get some answers to the unconventional behaviour.  
He received a cynical glare.  
"Don't ask such stupid questions, Draco. You will be presentable to the new guests this afternoon and if you jump out the window and break a leg, I swear I'll help you to break the rest of your bones."  
He felt that little sting of disappointment again, the one that only his father could cause. Of course Lucius held no care for him. It was only the old matter of keeping the family's reputation spotless.  
"Don't worry, father. I won't." Draco answered, making his voice as cold as Lucius'.  
As a house elf entered the room with the medical potion, Draco swept it without hesitation under Lucius' surveillance. Then he fell back to the cushions and swore to himself that he would not let his father see even one glimpse of weakness from him ever again.  
If this was how it would be, that he was destined to handle everything alone, then he would give everyone a real demonstration that he could do it, with or without any help!

By the time the Crabbes, Goyles and Bulstrodes arrived, Draco was back in shape more than anyone would expect. His clothes and behaviour was absolutely impeccable and it took no time for him at all to charm the guests as thoroughly as his father could.  
Even though his thoughts around the dreaded future prophecy that his father had revealed held him in a miserable state, he was set on showing the opposite.  
But he kept analyzing every situation arising during the day.  
Such as his parents behaviour towards one another. They did talk to each other and sometimes they even smiled, seeming very close. But soon it struck Draco that they were never acting like this in private. He couldn't even remember the last time they actually looked at each other when not in public.  
And there was this matter with his friends.  
He had never really reflected about why his social circle looked like it did. And depressively enough, he couldn't say that he truly enjoyed hanging with any of them.  
Crabbe and Goyle just followed him around because they were of good families that looked up to the Malfoys. Pansy probably liked him genuinely, but knowing her, it was more a matter of a sincere liking of his money and prestige.  
And every name he brought up to analyze was placed in the same category as Pansy.  
Ten points to Lucius, then, he thought, throwing dark, defiant looks to his father whenever he had the chance.  
It was met with a ominous frown every time.

As the day's activities came to an end and the adult guests were enjoying themselves with drinks, small talk and music in one of the common rooms, Draco led the younger visitors up to his room, as expected of him.  
The state of anxiety growing inside, as the bits of the puzzle called his life were falling to place, was held back with great effort.  
But he made sure nothing would leak up to the surface.  
They all settled in a circle on the floor, stretching out on the thick carpet after bringing out the forbidden bottles of wine and liqueur from their rooms.  
Draco knew he was not allowed to drink, but as Pansy offered him a glass, he received it with only a moment's hesitation.  
Well, if he was alone, then he might as well make that choice himself!  
"I've got an excellent idea!" Pansy said, as everyone sat in a cheerful state with a glass of alcohol in their hands.  
"What, you're going to disappear into the toilet with Millie again and walk out with her underwear on your head?"  
Pansy reacted by throwing a pillow in Edwin's face.  
"Shut up, you pig!" She shouted, accompanied with laughter from the others.  
"We were just _talking_, slimeball!" Millicent added.  
Edwin had referred to an incident in the Slytherin toilets last year, when Crabbes sister had visited the lavatory in the middle of the night and heard strange noises inside one of the booths. Then Pansy and Millicent had come out, looking quite ruffled.  
Naturally, every Slytherin was aware of the story the next day and nobody knew for sure what had really taken place inside the toilet, even though Draco strongly suspected that they were not innocent at all.  
Both of them denied all rumours, but Millicent's blush every time the subject was brought up gave them away.  
And as all other times, Pansy was quick to change direction in the conversation.  
"No, I was thinking more in the lines of…a truth or dare!"  
"Ah, Pansy, for crying out loud!" Crabbe's sister, Celina, moaned.  
Crabbe and Goyle were blushing and Rowan looked very uncertain, but Edwin and Millicent encouraged the idea. Then everybody looked at him.  
"Sure." Draco said, feeling about as engaged as if it was his own funeral. He definitely needed more wine.

After half an hour the game had everybody deeply engaged in a drunken state of experimentation. Every time Draco had the question, he simply chose 'truth' and lied so much at every inquiry that his tongue might as well have turned black from it.  
Pansy had already been forced to kiss Crabbe and Rowan had dug out a quill from Millicent's pants with a crimson colour in her face.  
Draco's glass had been filled and emptied many times and he was definitely not sober anymore. A sort of comfortable state had entered, where he felt his restricted behaviour and carefully locked up emotions breaking loose and threatening to spill over the edge.  
Since everybody else was drunk, nobody sensed any difference in him and that boosted the feeling of alienation a good deal.  
He was deep into suppressing the strong instincts of panic when the focus landed on him again.  
"Truth or dare?" Edwin asked.  
"Dare." Draco answered immediately.  
He just couldn't stand being so far removed from everyone. A little physical contact, any kind at all, was better than sitting all alone on his island, made a distant idol by the people who were supposed to be his confident circle.  
Edwin smirked and Draco could see how he looked for vengeance material to get even for yesterday, when Draco had threatened him with his wand.  
_Bring it on,_ Draco thought. _There's nothing you can possibly do to make me feel worse.  
_"All right, then. You get to kiss Goyle!"  
Goyle went white in the face, but Draco looked as cool as ever, imitating his father perfectly.  
"That's all? No problem."  
Draco went down to kiss Goyle, who couldn't bring himself to look Draco in the eyes. But he didn't dare to protest and Draco put his tongue into Goyle's mouth, cutting himself off from the object of the intimacy as he tasted Goyle's clumsy and unwilling tongue experimentally.  
Then he simply broke the kiss and moved back to his corner again with a bored expression, worthy of his father, on his face.  
Goyle looked like he needed to throw up from the shock and Draco stayed put in his place for about three minutes before he rose to his feet and walked to the door.  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Pansy cried.  
"Are you chickening out?" Edwin asked with triumph in his voice.  
"I'm going to use the bathroom, so if you'll excuse me." Draco snapped at them.  
Then he walked out, feeling content with the fact that they all were too drunk to realise that Draco had access to his own toilet through his rooms.

Draco resolutely walked down the stairs and entered the common room where the parents socialized.  
Some of them looked up as he came in, but nobody took any special note of his presence.  
Nobody, except for Lucius.  
And just as he had expected, his father followed his every move as he crossed the room with defiant steps, ignoring all the guests, to reach the library where the Family Chronicles were placed. He could have walked straight to his goal from the hall, but it was very essential that Lucius saw him right now.  
He thought he heard his father excuse himself to Mr Nott before the doors to the library were slammed shut, just a little too hard.  
Then he snatched the right book without hesitation and moved to the desk where he looked up the interesting chapter, just in time for Lucius' entrance.  
And what an entrance it was.  
His father walked so directly to his target with such determined steps, that had Draco been sober, he would have quit the cause on the spot. But not even his sire's dreaded temper could sway him from making a point.  
"What do you think you're doing, Draco?"  
Without even acknowledging Lucius' threatening voice, Draco started to read aloud from the book.  
"Ophelia Malfoy, slashed her wrists open at thirteen to avoid an arranged marriage…"  
"Close the book!"  
Lucius had almost reached the desk now.  
"…and Cyrus Malfoy, running away with a muggle girl during his last year at Hogwarts."  
Draco started to move around the table as Lucius reached for him, the younger Malfoy only stumbling slightly from the wine.  
"You've been drinking!" Lucius snarled.  
"Dragonia Malfoy, jumped from the West Tower with her lover, rather than giving birth to the heir of the family…_OW!!!_"  
Lucius held him in an iron grip and had just slapped him hard on the cheek.  
He ripped the book from Draco's hands despite the wild protests and started to force him down with his back on the desk.  
"I'm a real disappointment, aren't I?" Draco spat, struggling in vain to free his hands. "Running out on the ice just to get some sleep, deviating from my constantly perfect behaviour!"  
"Shut up!"  
"If I'd known I could have…OW!"  
Lucius had hit him in the face again and recaptured his wrist.  
"…could have made a much greater mess, like running off or even worse…OUPH!!!"  
Lucius had finally slammed him down hard on the desk, keeping his hands nailed to the polished surface.  
"Not another word."  
Lucius' whisper was very close to his ear and in cheer desperation, Draco turned his head in the voice's direction, determined to catch a glimpse of his father's eyes to see how this had affected him.  
Instead, he was met up with a hot tongue that invaded his mouth, causing shivers to run through him in a way that not even the fever had managed.  
Oh, this was perfect…the ice wall of alienation melted away and he was not lonely anymore. The person who meant most of all in the world gave him what he needed so badly!  
Draco answered the hard kiss eagerly, no longer in a state of caring about the twisted form this affirmation he needed carried.  
Then his tongue was bitten very harshly and Draco moaned aloud into his father's mouth, stirring from the pain but unwilling to draw away from the warm intimacy.  
But the kiss was broken anyway and soon he felt sharp teeth biting his earlobe and when the tongue jabbed into his ear, Lucius released one of his wrists to hold Draco's head steady, as he couldn't stop himself from writhing from the sensation.  
He was trembling, his knees were parting on their own accord to leave better access for his father to press closer, and the teeth was at his throat suddenly, clenching around the mark mercilessly deep and he didn't mind at all, hearing the pleased growls from his sire.  
Those sounds were the reward that suddenly seemed to weigh up for all the pain he had suffered from his father's hands and he swore to himself that he would stand anything, just to have Lucius this content with him again.  
The hands that held his arms pinned shifted, so that both wrists only rested in one grip now, still pressed down over his head.  
Then Lucius' free hand caressed his neck, snapping the clasp on Draco's robe open and continued down his body, causing Draco to breathe in short raptured gasps.  
Their mouths reunited again and the hand snuck under his clothes, making the skin underneath it prickle as the rough caresses slowly turned into clawings. It was so contradictive. Draco couldn't decide what was most unbearable. The pleasure or the pain, or the ecstasy as they both mingled together.  
Through his dim state of drunkenness, he realised that he had started to grow hard from his father's touch and the embarrassment made him sober up a little, just enough for trying to hide this fact from the older man leaning over him.  
But Lucius' hand had reached the danger zone and cupped Draco's crutch so suddenly, that Draco broke the kissing in panic to object.  
"No! Wait!"  
But Lucius merely smirked at him, resembling a very rare, beautiful predator about to lay down its prey.  
"Wait for what, Draco, hm?" he whispered maliciously, kissing Draco's lips as soon as he opened his mouth again to protest. "You obviously want this, don't you?"  
But Draco's head was getting clearer by the second, as true fear rushed to his head. He hadn't expected this!  
He wasn't sure about what he had expected, but the unknown territories that he had been led into had reached a dark, dangerous place and the mere idea of what they were actually doing was dodgy enough.  
"Look…uh, I can't do this! I- I'm not ready!" Draco gasped, suddenly wanting to back off several large steps.  
But the plea was only met up by a sadistic smile.  
"Oh yes you are, Draco. And it's not for you to decide."  
And the hand started to stroke the sensitive area teasingly, while Lucius coaxed an agonized Draco into another kiss again.  
But this was too frightening to relax into. If his father did not stop that…thing he was doing, if he didn't…but it felt so good.  
Draco found himself pressing his crutch up against his father's hand all of a sudden and typically enough, the hand drew back, starting to pull Draco's belt of instead.  
"No, NO!"  
Draco struggled to get his hands free, in a desperate attempt to get a say in the matter, but as soon as the belt was unbuckled, Lucius drew it out from Draco's pants and held it in a firm grip right under his nose.  
"I'll teach you to throw family tragedies in my face." His father whispered. "Turn around."  
Draco was stunned. Then he felt the blood rushing to turn his face dark red.  
This couldn't be normal either, suggesting a beating in a situation like this.  
"_Lucius?"  
_A few short knocks on the door and the sound of the doorknob wrenching, had Draco nearly dying of a heartattack.  
Lucius pulled him to his feet so fast, that he had hardly regained his balance when the door opened and Narcissa stepped in.  
Draco was grateful that he had his back to her. He threw a nervous glance at his father, who stood facing her, less than two feet from Draco, cleverly keeping the hand holding the belt behind his back.  
Draco couldn't help admiring Lucius' cool posture, how the burning fire in his eyes transformed into cold stone by less than a second.  
"Yes?" Lucius asked, his voice only slightly on the verge of annoyance, as if he was interrupted in one of those serious discussions with Draco.  
"They miss you outside." Narcissa said, without a hint of warmth in her reply. "Mr and Mrs Nott were about to be shown your collection of Grindelwald's possessions, as I recall."  
"And they will be."  
"What is Draco doing in here? Shouldn't he be upstairs with the guests?" She asked Lucius over Draco's head, as if he wasn't able to hear her.  
Draco dared to turn his head a little to look at his mother, although not in the eyes.  
"I was fetching a book for the others." He murmured, before Lucius had a chance to answer. "It was a truth or dare."  
Lucius nodded shortly, before giving him a stern slap on the shoulder.  
"Run along now, Draco. We'll finish this discussion later."  
And then Draco had a push towards the main entrance to the library, so that he would not have to pass his mother on the way out. And Draco fled, not daring to cast even one more glance at his father.  
He ran up the stairs and waited until the bodily signs of his activities had faded somewhat. Then he walked into the others and put on a face that he hoped nobody would dare to challenge.  
"Where were you, Draco?" Pansy wondered with an open relief to have him back.  
"On the toilet, I told you." He sighed. "The game is over and you'll have to go back to your rooms. They want us to hit the pillows now. And I really need to sleep!"  
But as his comrades started to leave the room, he was sure that he would never get any sleep again in his life.


	5. Biting back

Hi, Redfern here.  
I just want to give everybody millions of hugs for all the reviews since last chapter. They're like nice little gifts to open and it's not even Christmas yet!;-)  
I'm really glad you like the story and hopefully you're having a bit lessconfusing holidays than poor Draco...  
Speaking of which, the heat keeps rising in theWiltshire hangout...hope you'll enjoy it !  
Warm Christmas Greetings to all readers!

**21ST DECEMBER: BITING BACK**

The wind was raging around the Wiltshire manor, as a furious snowstorm broke out this night. Draco was sitting on his bed with the cover around him and gazed at the scenery outside his window, while the effects of the drinking slowly wore off.  
His thoughts resembled the whirling snowflakes very much at the moment.  
What had he done?  
And what had _really _happened in the library?  
Naturally, he had gotten into that weird situation due to the drinking, that had to be it. And concerning the kissing…  
Draco hid his face in his hands.  
Noway. That could not have been what it looked like!  
And he could not have…the way he reacted…had to be the effects of the alcohol. Right?  
Right.  
But what about his father, then? What was his excuse?  
And what if this was part of the game?  
But Lucius couldn't have known about his spontaneous show-off in the library and yet…he could have taken advantage of it.  
But what was this all about anyway?!  
Draco sighed for at least the thousandth time and decided to sleep it off instead. There were at least some things he couldn't deny.  
He had needed that intimacy so badly, that small moment of something that came close to a mutual understanding or some sort of tenderness. Maybe even…love. That word was never used in this house and Draco was not sure that his father was capable of love at all. But at least, with the memory of the unspeakable thing they had done, he could pretend.  
That maybe this was Lucius twisted way of telling him.

Breakfast this morning forced Draco into an unusually difficult act.  
He had no wish to look his mother in the eyes (not that Narcissa normally looked at him) and he was extremely careful not to look at Lucius. The conversation around the table also took a real nasty turn, as soon as they were all seated.  
"Oh dear, Draco!" Mr Crabbe said, putting his tea down. "What in the Dark Lords name is that on your throat?"  
Oh, great. _Now_ he noticed and chose to share it with the entire table!  
"It's really nothing, Mr Crabbe." Draco replied, trying to sound very uninteresting. "Did you enjoy the social event last night?"  
But Mr Crabbe seemed to ignore the reply completely.  
"I say, that's some nasty toothmarks! You're not playing neat little games anymore, are you?" Mr Crabbe smiled, obviously finding it amusing to embarrass Draco in front of the others.  
Pansy started toscowl at Draco at this, focusing on the fresh marks on the throat.  
"Now, be fair, Laurent!" Mrs Parkinson objected. "We were all that age once. I remember you at fifteen…"  
"Oh, not getting such marks, PLEASE!" Mr Crabbe argued.  
Draco felt trapped in a degrading nightmare and Mr Nott added to it by leaning over the table with a superior smile of the kind that adults often use to very small children.  
"You have to bite back, Draco!"  
His words released a wave of laughter over the table and just as Draco thought it could get no worse, Pansy suddenly rose from her chair with a truly miserable face and started to walk out from the dining room.  
A silent second hit the table and then some of the parents started to whisper to each other. And then everybody was looking at Draco.  
Narcissa looked aggressively demanding.  
Draco remained seated a few more seconds before rising from his chair as well. He wanted to throw an accusing glare at Lucius, but he did not dare.  
"Excuse me." He muttered and then he was chasing Pansy, followed by many pairs of eyes who thought they understood the scene perfectly.  
Merlin, if they knew…

Pansy sat crying on the stairs to the attic when he found her.  
When he approached her, she looked up angrily, ready for battle. Draco wanted nothing else than to be riding over the snowcovered fields far away from the house at this moment, but if there was an escape from this situation, he sure couldn't find the exit.  
"Pansy, we need to talk." He said, mentally tip-toing around herwith his words.  
"Get away from me!" She raged. "I don't want to see you EVER again in my entire LIFE!"  
_Works with me,_ Draco thought, but he fought to find words to explain. What could he possibly say?  
"Look Pansy, I…"  
"Who is it?!"  
"Eh…what?"  
"You heard me!"  
Draco decided that an attack would be the best defence.  
"You have no right to ask me that." He said with authority. "It's not like we're actually together."  
She gaped at him, before firing back.  
"No? So what was the kiss at the ball all about? Why did you bother to ask me at all? I could have gone with someone MUCH better…"  
"Like who?!" Draco interrupted, suddenly indignated.  
"What about THE KISS, Draco?"  
"It's just stuff you do at a ball!" He started to raise his voice, losing patience in perfect time with Pansy.  
"Oh, and what's the excuse this time? 'It's just stuff you do at Christmas'!"  
"And what about the toilet, then? Go kiss Millie some more and stop bothering ME!"  
She glared at him in silence for a moment, just long enough for Draco to realise his mistake.  
"Oh." She said, slowly and cleverly. "So this is your revenge, isn't it?"  
"Pansy, SERIOUSLY…"  
"No, no, I get it!" Pansy stood up from the stairs and walked up to him, frosty as the weather. "You're little game is on, then. I'll find out who it is, Draco, and then I'll beat her to death and then you better _crawl_ if you want me back!"  
Draco heightened his eyebrow at her, in disbelief about what he heard. But Pansy walked past him and made sure to drop a few poisonous words on her way out.  
"By the way, don't be surprised if I amuse myself in the meantime, just like you!"  
And then she was out.  
Draco sank down on the stairs, on the spot Pansy had recently been.  
That was all this house needed. Another game!

The morning passed into noon and Pansy was ignoring Draco very prominently so far. Draco did his best to ignore her too and it wasn't all that hard. After all, his need to ignore her was genuine.  
But it was a lot harder to ignore Lucius. He didn't want to think about it, but the subject of last night kept popping up in his head and he found himself running off, whenever he had the chance, to check upon the adults. Or more accurately, check upon Lucius.

Then just before dinner, as his friends had gone off to clean themselves up after the visit to the stables, he had the perfect chance to spy on them undisturbed from the rail of the stairs, after a quick change of clothes.  
The adults were gathering in the great hall, still talking and laughing after the hunt they had just experienced. Lucius had led it, of course, and made sure to be the centre of all attention as usual.  
He had his arm around Narcissa, as if it was the most natural thing in the world and she adjusted his hunting robes with one hand while embracing him with the other. Her eyes glimmered and they looked truly in love.  
Then his father turned his head to kiss her forehead before continuing his quick remarks.  
Draco felt his stomach clench in a very uncomfortable way.  
Now, what was this?  
He should be content to see them like that, shouldn't he? Even if it was just a show in front of the guests?  
Or maybe it wasn't...  
All those things, those shows of affection he had been given Draco, could have been a show as well. Something to bend Draco to his own will, to manipulate him into something…  
But the scene in the library…  
Without thinking, Draco started to run to Lucius' office, hoping to catch up with him there before dinner. He knew his father often took a turn to his working place before reuniting with the guests and Draco just had to get some answers, or confirmation or…whatever. He wasn't sure about why, but it was urgent!

Lucius showed up, just as he had counted on, and unlocked the door to his office very calmly as Draco stood beside him, trying to get his attention.  
The ignorance made Draco very uncertain and struck all the harder after the recent scene in the hall.  
"Father, I need to talk to you." He tried.  
"Really?"  
Lucius looked distant and bored, just like he did all too often in Draco's presence. This was getting painful!  
"Please…we have to talk."  
Draco swallowed.  
Lucius opened the door and stepped in very calmly. He walked straight to the desk and lifted something from an open drawer.  
Then he looked up at Draco.  
"Well, step in, then. We have some serious matters to deal with, after all."  
Draco closed the door behind him and walked up to the desk very carefully.  
He was very relieved that Lucius wanted to speak to him too. There was this little tiny hope that his father would actually wonder how he felt after all this and maybe wanting to check up on him.  
Then he saw the object in his father's hand.  
Lucius was holding Draco's belt, the one he had withdrawn last night.  
Draco's eyes shot up from the belt to meet his father's eyes.  
He was met by that cruel, uncompromising face he knew all too well.  
"Lean over the desk." Lucius instructed him with a stern voice.  
Draco stood frozen for a moment and felt all hope fall to the floor and shatter before doing as he was told. He fought not to show any signs of disappointment or feelings at all.  
How many times would he walk into this trap? Lucius was playing with him, he knew that, so why did he have to act like a bloody idiot, chasing imaginary treasures?!  
"Let's see, you mentioned three ancestors last night. Five, if we are to count the unworthy rabble two of them were involved with."  
Lucius walked around him, out of sight, positioning himself behind Draco. His voice still carried an eerie coolness as he continued.  
"Then you deliberately tried to make a scene out of everything. That's five more. So how many is that all together, Draco?"  
That was a very rhetorical question and normally, Draco would be paralyzed with fear about the pain to come. But he felt strangely distanced from everything, as if the punishment really wasn't aimed at him.  
"Ten." He answered distractedly.  
He felt betrayed, bitter and beyond any care about what Lucius could do to him physically. It didn't matter anymore.  
The cold in Lucius voice was twenty times worse to listen to.  
"Count aloud then, Draco."  
Draco clenched his teeth together. He wouldn't show a hint of weakness, never again!  
_SMACK!  
_"One!"  
His voice was filled to the brim with suppressed emotions, but he fought to keep everything in place as the lashes continued to rain.  
_SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!  
_"Two…three…FOUR!"  
Damn it! The control over his voice was slipping!  
The next lash came down with full force and threw him out of his well-guarded self-discipline.  
"Five…!" The number was spoken like a whimper and his knees started to fail him.  
"Stand up straight, Draco, we haven't got all day!"  
Draco forced his legs to obey, but it was harder to prevent the burning knot in his stomach from growing.  
_SMACK!  
_"Six!"  
He hissed the numbers out now, took the last four blows one by one, without any dramatic display of feelings. As he stood catching his breath, still leaning over the desk, Lucius simply laid the belt in front of him.  
"You can take the belt with you when you leave." His father said, close to his ear. But he sounded different this time. Something akin to amusement or…tenderness?  
Lucius hand was on his cheek suddenly, wiping the small drops of the exhaustion away.  
But Draco was in a fury that did not allow him to yield to this weakness. Not again.  
_You have to bite back, Draco!  
_He turned his cheek away and stood up straight so suddenly, that Lucius hand was still outstretched as he took three steps away from his father.  
"If that was all, father…" Draco said in his coldest, most contemptuous voice. "…then I'm out of here!"  
He dashed out the door, only freezing for less than as second as Lucius sharp, commanding voice rang out behind him.  
"DRACO!"  
But Draco didn't stop. He did not care what would happen, he wasn't going up there again and Lucius could forget about that game! He wasn't going to play anymore!  
His back and buttocks were burning, but it was nothing compared to the anger inside. He ran straight down to the dinner table and took his seat, determined to stay among the guests, no matter what.  
Lucius did not seem to follow him down and to make it easier to ignore the head of the family, he started to engage himself in a conversation with Edwin suddenly, picking a subject about the ministry that he knew could keep Edwin going for hours.

Lucius did arrive after a little while, of course. Right on time with his clothes changed and all. And nothing in his posture revealed any recent disturbance in the family. He smiled at the guests as usual and entangled them with his charms, but Draco could see in his eyes that he was livid.  
_Good! He had it coming!  
_Soon they were all seated and as lunch was served, Edwin was still in an endless monologue about his political view about the restrictions for underage wizards.  
Draco kept a brave face and Lucius mask of politeness was impeccable.  
Still, there was a noticeable tension in the room that even the guests seemed to feel.  
Some sort of wet blanket had spread out over the table and Narcissa looked very uncomfortable, glancing from Lucius to Draco while upholding the conversation compulsively.  
As lunch drew close to its end, Lucius finally turned his attention to Draco.  
"I'll see you in my office in five minutes." He said, with a vindictive smirk that could easily be taken for devotion to his son by the present.  
Draco smiled back at him, exaggerating his friendliness an inch or two.  
"Thank you, father, but there's no need. I managed the homework on my own!"  
Mrs Parkinson missed the deadly glare Lucius sent over the table and looked at Pansy.  
"Did you have homework over the holidays? You haven't told me."  
Pansy looked as confused as her mother, but never had a chance to answer as Lucius came in between.  
"Draco is ahead in certain classes and thereby lends advanced books with him home, to keep the interest up."  
Several of the parents made impressed noises at this, but Draco threw Lucius a dark, defiant glance.  
Then Rowan started to cough suddenly and hold her stomach.  
"I don't feel very well." She whimpered.  
Her mother was at her side in an instant and helped her up from the chair.  
"What's the matter, dear?"  
Rowan whined and pressed her hands to her stomach harder.  
When Draco turned his head to her as well, he got a glimpse of Pansy surveying him with a content smile.  
Oh. Fuck.  
This house was totally mad!  
Draco kept staring at the scene as Mrs Nott led Rowan up the stairs to her room. Narcissa left the table to punish some kitchen house elf and Lucius seized the moment perfectly and stood with a heavy hand on Draco's shoulder only seconds later.  
Draco had a real start since he never noticed his father's arrival.  
"Let's go, Draco."  
There was nothing to do but following Lucius obediently, but as soon as they had reached the second floor, Draco made a sudden turn to his room and ran for it.  
Lucius turned to see him run in disbelief no longer than a second before coming after him at a dangerous speed.  
He had never done a defiant gesture even near this one, but the little stomach he had left for the situation was fading. Draco flew into his room and slammed the door shut, but he never got to put the locking spell on before Lucius burst into the room, slammed the door shut even harder and grabbed Draco's robe too close to the throat.  
"LET ME GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Draco shouted, digging his nails into Lucius' wrists in panic.  
His father released one hand from him and drew his wand out.  
"_Silencia!"  
_The room was protected with a powerful silence-spell, preventing any sound from reaching outside the walls.  
Then Lucius lifted him off the ground and threw him down on the bed. Draco rose with the speed of lightning, but Lucius managed to push him into a corner as soon as he was on his feet again. Draco hit the wall but turned to face Lucius without hesitation.  
He was met by an unexpected smile. Lucius stood ready with his wand, but looked too relaxed to match the moment.  
"I'm not playing anymore!" Draco sneered.  
Lucius smile only deepened, with frustrated Draco even more. If he was going to get his back red again, then at least he was going to make sure he deserved it this time!  
"You can push me around all you like, but you won't have me cooperating!" He continued, his voice raising from the anger. Lucius was still quiet and looked at him very intensely. This unnerved Draco even more and urged him to fill the silence.  
"You've told me I'm all alone and I'm dealing with it and everything you do just confirm it! If that's the lesson, then I'm done with it now! JUST STOP FEEDING ME HOPE ALL THE TIME!"  
Draco caught his breath, stunned by his own daring. He had never even dreamed about raising his voice to Lucius, while sober,and now he was left with the terrible threat of the consequences.  
But his father was still calm, even though he did not smile anymore.  
"You will behave while we have guests in this house." Came the answer, carrying a sharp edge of warning.  
"I don't care about the guests! They're not even friends to us! You said so yourself! I didn't invite them!"  
"NEITHER DID I!"  
Draco had a start and slammed his back to the wall.  
When Lucius spoke again, it was in the same low but stern voice as before.  
"They just show up, every Christmas, just as their families always have."  
The room was silent for several seconds.  
Dracohad areflex to laugh, but swallowed it.  
He stared at Lucius with wide eyes and his father glared back in a very dangerous way.  
"You are jealous." Lucius stated, the smile suddenly creeping back in an uncanny way.  
"…what?" Draco managed, in a very small voice.  
But his father was closing in, the smile never leaving his lips.  
"I know you are, Draco. You're of my blood after all…"  
He reached out to touch Draco's cheek and Draco stood still in his corner, not knowing what to believe.  
"…and you get such a dreadful temper when you don't get what you want…just like me."  
The last words were whispered to him and the meaning of them sank in too slow, while the hand on his cheek played over the smooth surface, reaching up to tuck some strands of hair back in place that had fallen down in his face.  
Draco swallowed. He wanted it, oh, he wanted it to be real!  
Tears started to burn in his eyes and he averted his eyes and looked down at his feet.  
Then Lucius took his face in both hands and directed it upwards again, kissing his forehead in that intimate, disarming way.  
"You have to learn, Draco. Everything in this house is a game to uphold the necessities."  
Lucius looked him in the eyes as he said it, adding a serious frown.  
Draco shut is eyes tight. He couldn't prevent a tear from spilling down his cheek now.  
"Then this is just another game." He answered, opening his eyes to scan Lucius' face for any changes of expression. He had to know!  
His father looked slightly impatient, but answered him very determinedly, his gaze as sharp and serious as before.  
"No, Draco. This is the _only_ thing real you'll ever have."  
Another silent moment passed.  
It could be a lie, it might as well be.  
But one thing had been true. Even though he would deny it until death, he _had_ been jealous when seeing his parents showing affection for each other.  
Their faces were very close and Draco reached up on his toes with a racing heart to kiss his father's lips.  
He had an immediate response, as Lucius took control over the situation and grabbed his arms to drag him to the bed.  
Draco found himself with his back against the mattress suddenly, his father climbing on top of him without breaking the kiss even once.  
Their tongues were closely entwined in a blessed heat and his head was spinning from the eager caresses the hands gave him, moving down his thighs and up to his face. Lucius broke the kiss slowly and moved his thumb over Draco's lips before pressing it into his mouth. Draco instinctively closed his lips around it and started to suck, stroking it with his tongue, while Lucius licked his ear and used his other hand to unbutton Draco's pants.  
The younger Malfoy, who had held his eyes closed, now opened them and stirred anxiously as the hand touched the bare skin of his inner thigh.  
"Relax." His father whispered into his ear.  
It was agonizing; his body wanting one thing and his mind another.  
The thumb left his mouth and a forefinger entered instead, leaving Draco busy while the hand on his thigh ventured further, stroking over his hip and groin before moving to his streaked buttocks.  
Draco made a little twitch at the touch, his heart beating fast as the thumb moved over the marks from the belt. But then a finger found its way in between the buttocks and started to stroke the tight little opening and several things happened at once.  
A wave of unknown pleasure rushed through him, having his sex reacting in a quite revealing way. The next moment, Draco started to suspect why he was sucking at his father's fingers and as another finger was coaxed into his mouth, the blush on his face intensified.  
Not to mention the anxiousness.  
The fingers finally left his mouth and he noticed that he was breathing shakily, trembling from the fear of what to come.  
The hand stroking him between the legs moved up and pulled his wrists together, pressing them down over his head just as it had in the library.  
Lucius was straddling him, moving the wet fingers down to the private place while searching his face for every small reaction.  
Draco met his gaze, trying to plead silently.  
"Father…" He breathed, but hesitated as he decided that the word sounded horribly perverted in this situation.  
But it seemed to enflame Lucius, who bent down to kiss him a lot harsher than before, while placing the fingers against the narrow entrance.  
The small protests Draco tried to make were quenched by the persistant tongue in his mouth and the fingers were probing and coaxing, forcing their way inside of him.  
A shiver ran through his spine and he writhed from the new, unfamiliar pain the invasion caused. The fingers were pushing in to him, bit by bit, accompanied by Draco's agonized moans every time they ran deeper.  
The muscles involuntarily clenched around the fingers spasmodically.  
But still there was this wicked sensation that made his sex stone hard and from what he could feel against his thigh, his father was no less excited about it.  
A little thought flickered through his mind, making the connection between the fingers in his ass and the quite larger, hard sex against his thigh. But it was too abstract. It wouldn't fit in there and…they weren't really going that far, were they?  
But Lucius shoved the fingers all the way in and had Draco jumping and crying out from the shock, breaking loose from the kiss.  
His father locked eyes with him and released his hands to stroke his cheek and then grasp his jaw to keep Draco from turning his head.  
Draco carefully brought his shaking hands up around his father's neck and buried them in the long, silvery hair. It was a rare, pleasant privilege to be allowed such an act, entwining the strands between his fingers.  
The hot mouth closed over his own again and as soon as Draco started to relax a little, the fingers moved out a little only to push in with full force.  
"OW!"  
Lucius caught his mouth once more, forcing his cries to cease as the fingers kept repeating the rough penetration.  
Finally, all he could do was to whimper and moan as the fingers rode him, but soon they seemed to find a spot that had to be the core of all pleasure and suddenly the pain seemed less relevant.  
Reality simmered and became blurred, his mind was heavily drugged as pure ecstasy rushed through his veins. He never wanted it to stop and tried to make his will clear about it by arching his hips up against the body over him. His sex was alive and pulsating and suddenly it seemed to matter little that he was practically into quite a hardcore foreplay with his father. He just wanted to ride on the feeling and to reach its peak, no matter what!  
But Lucius withdrew the fingers and separated from him so fast that Draco had barely grasped that it was interrupted before Lucius stood on the floor, correcting his robes with a devilish smile directed at Draco.  
"That is quite enough for now, wouldn't you say?" He said, in his polite, businesslike manner, raising an eyebrow as if expecting an answer.  
Draco managed to sit up a bit clumsily and stared at Lucius while gasping for breath. But Lucius just moved towards the door with a content smile and faced him only once more when his hand was on the doorknob.  
"It's not Christmas yet after all, is it?"  
He shut the door behind him and Draco was left alone with his pants halfway pulled down and a painfully throbbing erection demanding release.  
He stumbled out of bed and got rid of his pants, before deciding to think it all over in private while showering.  
All of a sudden, he was miles away from life as he knew it.

Draco held the younger guests entertained the rest of the day and was unusually quiet. Rowan stayed in bed, becoming sicker by the hour and as evening fell and she had to be taken to _St Mungo's_ hospital, Draco just knew that this was going to be the longest Christmas ever.


	6. Easier to run

Eleven reviews. ELEVEN reviews! Wow.

I turn my back on you people for, like, two weeks to get the Christmas done and over with and what happens? No, honestly, I'm delighted! I know I'm writing in a fairly small category and finding so many reviews for one chapter in this small amount of time makes me, makes me…_wiping a tear from my eye  
_Now, thanks a lot to **PoeticPoet **for the nice suggestion about my career. Maybe it'll please you to hear that I'm working as a writer in my home country (where my grammar is dramatically better, I promise!). Let's just say that this is my little relaxing spot, where I can write about anything with my favourite characters and read the great stuff created on this site!  
And specially thanks to **Malfoy's Queen**, **Icarus Malfoy**, **GaBoO** and **Nardy** for hanging on from the start.  
And **Desiree K troy**, if you're still reading this…yeah, it was Theodore. Let's just say that…um…_blushing_ it's Theodore Edwin Nott and that his close circle calls him by his second name. Uh. Yeah. Right. _Blushing some more_.

Great thanks to all of you! Nobody is forgotten and it was a great Christmas present to receive!  
Hope your holidays were free from poisoning and family dramas such as this!

Ps. My boyfriend laughs now and says that I should write that we are all sick in the head, but we know that, don't we? And we're proud of it!  
Love and Hugs

Redfern

**22ND DECEMBER: EASIER TO RUN**

Draco had not been asleep for longer than an hour before the sharp knocks on the door shot him back into the dreaded waking world.  
"_Draco? Wake up!"  
_A stab of panic was felt through his groggy state. Was he late for breakfast again? His father would kill him!  
But as he opened his eyes and checked the time, he realised that something serious must have happened.  
The clock had barely struck two. It was pitch black outside and the snow was raging like it had last night.  
"_Draco, we are to attend St Mungos! Rowan's state is critical!"  
_"I'm up, mother!" he shouted back, jumping out of his bed as if to illustrate his words.  
"_The hall in fifteen minutes, Draco!"  
_"Yes, mother!"  
Draco stumbled into the shower, his head suddenly much clearer when thinking about Rowan.  
What the hell had Pancy fed her with?!  
He turned the water on quickly and decided to make it to the hall in ten minutes. He knew Lucius would be expecting it.  
Lucius…  
Their tumble in Draco's bed came back to him very suddenly. He had kept it neatly suppressed under heavy layers of his best behaviour yesterday and even managed to fall asleep very early due to a sinister amount of self discipline. And now, being too exhausted, he found the stone hard walls of defence built up around the subject falter.  
He had been standing in the shower yesterday as well, satisfying himself after his father had left and then felt sick about it, sick and completely destroyed.  
But it had woken reactions in his body being too strong to control, throwing him out of balance and leaving his will in shreds.  
It was probably planned, all of it, including the cruel desertion at the end.  
At the very moment Draco had felt the vast emptiness inside being soothed and filled up, just a little, then he had been abandoned again.  
And for every time he walked into the trap Lucius laid out in front of him, the bitter aftertaste got harder and harder to handle.  
It was as if his father tried to break him down systematically and yet try to build up just enough to have something to tear down the next time they met.  
And then there was this subtle promise, or threat, as Lucius had walked out the door.  
_It's not Christmas yet, after all, is it?  
_Was Lucius planning to fuck him at Christmas?  
Draco's limbs turned cold despite the hot water showering over him.  
The panic was building up and no thought in the world could calm it down.  
If there was something Lucius had proved to him during the holiday, it was that he was always one step ahead and Draco had a snowball's chance in hell to catch up with him.  
Unless…

St Mungo's Emergency Ward was quite crowded when they arrived and Draco drew a great sigh of relief when they were let into the room where Rowan laid without hesitation. He could imagine that nobody in the hospital was interested in letting Lucius wait.  
All the guests had joined them and as soon as Draco and the other younger members of the gathering had caught a glimpse of the deadly pale, thin Rowan in her hospital bed, Lucius threw them out, leaving only the adults in the room.  
As the door closed and they were left in the corridor, Draco sank down on a bench there with his head in his hands. Edwin was holding an agitated speech about the injustice, but Draco just sat there, thoroughly pissed off about being dragged to the hospital in the middle of the night and then not getting to see Rowan at all. But then again, it suited his plans perfectly.  
"Mourning her?"  
Draco looked up and saw Pansy standing over him. He put on a perfect sneer of annoyance.  
"I'm mourning my lost sleep! But speaking about loosing things…where the fuck are your common sense?!"  
Pansy smiled coldly.  
"In the same place as yours, I suppose. We'll just have to wait and see if the marks on your throat cease to appear, now, won't we?"  
Draco stared at her for a second as a horrible thought crossed his mind.  
_If he does that to me again she's going to kill the entire house!  
_He could easily imagine both Millicent and Celina green and swollen in the face from Pansy's poison. And what if she didn't stop there?  
"I need air." He said and got to his feet.  
"Too scary for you?"  
"Too _pathetic_ for me!"

The icy winds hit Draco in the face as he stepped outside the hospital building. It was bitingly cold, but refreshing.  
Without looking back evenonce, he started to walk away and turned at the nearest crossing. He did not intend to go back, nor even stay in the city. He had brought some spare Galleons from his drawer and they would get him to Germany at least, maybe even Romania. And after that…he did not care.  
He was going to prove his point to Lucius, even if it cost him his hide!  
All he knew was that his life was insufferable and the limit was reached. Anything was better than this, absolutely anything!  
But first he needed to get some help to leave the country unseen and he almost ran through the snowy streets to reach Diagon Alley. From there he could enter Knockturn Alley and its many dead end streets.

It did not take too long to reach the intended destination either.  
Draco had been down Knockturn Alley a lot with his father and walked past a very fishy travel agency numerous times. He was not sure that the store would be open at this hour, but it looked quite promising, as he noticed a great number of stores and Inn's having their doors open and the dim lights flickering from inside.  
It was slightly unnerving walking here without company, but he moved quite fast and suddenly he stood before the discreet Travel Agency with a beating heart.  
What was he doing? Could he do it?  
His father would probably look for him all over London and every inhabitant in Knockturn Alley would be turned inside out to reveal everything they knew…or maybe he would not care at all.  
Draco stepped inside and found himself standing in a very small store that had the smell of something rotten.  
Then a greasy old man with yellow teeth appeared from behind the counter, as if he had just apparated there.  
"Welcome to Mordred Travels, taking you where you want to go or taking someone somewhere you want them to go. How can I help you?"  
Draco did his best to gain some authority, hoping that he could show but a glimpse of his father's intimidation, but the dark store did not make it easy at all.  
"I'm looking for…I need, uh, to get to…Germany. Or to Romania. I'd like to see your price lists."  
The old man smiled viciously for unknown reasons.  
"I see. Apparating or Port Key?"  
"Any. It depends on the prices."  
"I see." The old man repeated, looking at Draco as if he was about to feed him to his dogs. "I'll fetch the lists, if you just wait here…"  
"I'll wait right outside." Draco interrupted and hurried outside, pressing himself against the soiled brick wall.  
He had to put himself together! He was a Malfoy, damn it! HE should be feared, not the other way around!  
He looked up and noticed that it was possible to see the stars. It was comforting to fix his gaze at them and just breathe, while listening to the mingled noises from the alley. Loud laughter was erupting from a bar nearby and from another there was music, a strange and eastern-sounding tune that had his nerves relaxing finally.  
In an odd sort of way he felt freer than he had ever done in his life.  
All journeys he had made, all decisions, had been somebody else's design. But this thing, this runaway was entirely his own.  
And it felt great, just standing there breathing.  
It was just annoying that the thoughts about his father never left him.  
Would Lucius go looking for him personally? Would he miss him?  
His stomach started to hurt when thinking about it and he pressed the tears back from his eyes.  
He couldn't stand there looking like a complete loser!  
Everything was going to be fine! He was doing fine on his own, fixing the journey and chilling out in the street corner, mingling with the crowd and…  
There was a knife at his throat.  
He didn't dare to move.  
A crazy thought went through him; that his father had had enough of all his little rebellions and had decided to force him back under a life threat.  
But as a typical East End dialect was heard, all such thoughts disappeared.  
"Jus' stand still right where yeh are, eh, lad? We won't hurt yeh…much."  
Then something hard hit his head and everything went black.

His head was giving him hell as he woke up  
But as he slowly returned to reality, he realised that it was the least of his problems.  
He was lying on a dirty, crude wooden floor with his hands tied behind his back. Two exited voices were arguing about something and as he dared to open his eyes a little, he saw two grown men sitting by a simple table, looking like archetypes of really dodgy criminals.  
"I say we sell him!" One of them hissed. "Yeh could be wrong, yeh know!"  
"Wrong?! The lad 'as robes for a worth o' eighthundred galleons…easily!" I'm tellin' yeh, it's a Malfoy!"  
"What the heck would a Malfoy be doin' here in the middle of the night, hanging in the corners like your local dealer, huh, Ernie?"  
"I've seen 'im around, Buckley! 'E's been 'ere a million times with 'is father, all right? The ransom would top all cash yeh'd get for sellin' 'im in the street, if so a billion times!"  
Draco frowned and twitched at the knifelike pain shooting through his head. What was this? Did they plan to sell him of lots of times? What kind of a scoundrel deceit…and then he realised what sort of selling they might mean and everything concerning his father and Pansy's poisoning suddenly felt very pale and even inviting.  
Merlin, how could he have been this stupid?!  
All he could do now was to direct the alternatives before him to the least devastating option.  
"My father is going to kill you." He growled.  
Both the kidnappers turned their heads to him at the same time.  
"Shut up, yeh little twat, or I'll smack yeh up real good!" Said the one called Buckley.  
To Draco the threat was a drop in the ocean of all the violence he had suffered from his father and he simply sighed and viewed them arrogantly.  
"I'm telling you, my father is Lucius Malfoy! If you do not release me at once, he'll get very, very angry and I will not answer for the consequences!"  
Ernie, who had suspected this, started to jump up and down with enthusiasm, clapping his hands.  
"I told yeh, I told yeh!" He sang, almost dancing forward to Draco.  
But Buckley's face turned meaner and he drew his knife out, pointing it at Draco's eye.  
"Don't yeh talk to me like that, boy, or I'll dig yehr eyes out and feed them to the alley dogs!"  
Draco shut his mouth tightly and stared at the knife, doing his best not to show how frightened he was. Despite the effort, the cold sweat started to break out on his forehead.  
"We'll ask fer a billion Galleys, Buckley! Or two billions!" Ernie said, distracting Buckley not a moment to soon.  
"Shut yehr trout, yeh idiot!" Buckley barked back. "If the kiddo tells the truth at all, we'll get our asses roasted in UNFORGIVABLES!"  
And then they started to scream at each other, back and forth, and Draco was grateful for every second passing when he was still healthy.  
Finally the most aggressive of the two, Buckley, drew his wand out and pointed it at Draco.  
"Now, my final word is, we waste him or jus' sell him onwards, before the whole smoking inferno come crashing down the roof!"  
Ernie had placed himself on a chair in the room, sulking in silence.  
"Yeh hear that, boy?" Buckley continued. "We'll sell yeh! But don't yeh worry at all!"  
Buckley was grinning as he bent over Draco and took hold of his robe. Draco tried to draw back, but it was annoyingly hard to direct his movements with his hands tied back.  
"Ol' Buckley will have his fun first!" He hissed in Draco's ear.  
Panick entered and without thinking, Draco slammed his boot into Buckley's Crouch as hard as he could.  
Buckley roared with pain and fell back, but Ernie came to his feet fast as lightning and drew a long, rusty knife out while running towards Draco.  
Draco tried to rise but failed and had the time to think _that's it, I'm gonna die_ before a green light filled the room and Ernie fell over him, the knife landing with a clatter on the floor.  
"_Avada Kedavra!"  
_Another flash of green light, and then Buckley's moaning ceased too and he lied as still as Ernie.  
Draco struggled to roll to the side and get rid of Ernie's weight. It was horrible to look into those staring, lifeless eyes!  
But someone lifted Ernie away from him and threw the body aside.  
His father was standing there, the fury beaming from him as if he was some demon of vengeance. Small green sparks still erupted from his wand.  
Draco forgot everything about Ernie and Buckley and started to mobilise all defence speeches he had.  
"Father! I…"  
"Silence!" Lucius cut him off.  
Then he squatted down in front of Draco and grasped his chin the way he did when he was really angry.  
"Maybe I should let you keep the rope around your wrists, while discussing this with you!" He said in a low but furious voice.  
Draco swallowed and didn't dare to answer. There was nothing to say.  
He had been caught red handed and he knew it. And his father had just killed two people. Not that he had't killed anyone before, but it was the first time Draco had ever been an eyewitness. Creepy...  
But Lucius could at least show a little sympathy for his condition, couldn't he?  
Lucius waved his wand again and this time the ropes around Draco's wrists decayed immediately and fell off in shreds.  
Then his father pulled him up with a firm grip round his arm and headed for the exit, almost dragging the stumbling Draco with him.  
"We are going to discuss this in private, you and I."

After only a few minutes walk, they had reached the place in Knockturn Alley known as the finest Inn. It was still a real rat's hole, compared to what Draco was used to, but no questions were asked there and special service could be included, stretching beyond the laws of the ministry.  
Draco noted that it was still dark outside and that the hunger was raving in his stomach like a wolf. But he felt in no position to protest.  
Lucius stepped in under the sign spelling _Dragon's Den _and Draco followed, bitterly noting the metaphor between his situation and the sign.  
Lucius had them logged into the best room merely by making his presence known by the counter and then, to Draco's great relief, they went into the small restaurant that the Inn ran and had seats in a booth comfortably secluded from too many eyes.  
Lucius ordered supper for them and as the food came to the table, he had still not uttered a word to Draco since they were in the scoundrel hideout.  
Draco knew on instinct that he should be quiet until Lucius decided otherwise. And he did not mind.  
Oddly enough, he did not feel very frightened, only a bit knocked about, as he was still trying to melt his narrow escape from the two kidnappers and from being…desecratred by…ugh…Buckley!  
And in a weird way the possibility to be alone with his father out of all ordinary contexts, even though it might mean punishments, felt soothing.  
Draco and his father ate in silence and Draco had barely finished his last chew on the tasty inlaid fish, when Lucius broke the silence.  
"I think it's time for you to explain yourself, thoroughly."  
Draco looked up at him as innocently as he could and tried to play on the misery he had just experienced, but it was useless.  
Lucius just put his elbows on the table and leaned over him, his sharp stare spelling out a warning.  
"Whatever mischief you try to pull off, Draco, you know that I will be a hundred times worse than anything you can possibly come up with."  
Draco nodded.  
"So now I expect the truth. What did you plan to do when you ran off?"  
"I was going to apparate to Romania…or Germany!" He said instantly.  
The words spilling from his mouth shocked him! He had planned to say that he was going for a walk and had been kidnapped or something like that.  
Then he glared at the empty bottle of mineral water on the table.  
So that's what 'extra clear water' meant!  
"Yes, you've been drinking Veritaserum." Lucius said impatiently. "Why were you going to Romania?"  
"Because…" Draco struggled in vain to hold the words back. "…you would know that you couldn't control me like that and that I had a will of my own and partly it was a test!"  
Lucius arched an eyebrow as his gaze grew frostier by the answer.  
"Really? What sort of a test?"  
"I wanted to know…if you would care to come after me at all."  
Draco felt like crying for the fifty-eleventh time this horrible Christmas, but he simply let his eyelids drop, so that he could only see the plate. Meeting whatever mocking reaction that would come from Lucius now was too much to bear.  
But the silence was kept and stretched out for a good minute before Lucius rose and spoke in a surprisingly tired voice.  
"Come, Draco. It's time to go up to our room."

As the door was closed behind them, Lucius lied off his outdoor robe and gestured for Draco to do the same. Then he simply sat down on the bed (the _only_ bed in the room, Draco noted) and beckoned for Draco to come to him with a slight wave of the hand.  
Draco walked forward hesitantly, his heart racing as it usually did when a punishment was near.  
He was guided to sit down between Lucius legs, having his back to him.  
Instead of exploding pain, the dangerous hands found their way beneath the shirt by the neck and started to massage his shoulders with slow, careful movements.  
Draco was taken aback by this, but couldn't help wincing from the comfortable treatment.  
Lucius mouth was close to his ear as he directed Draco to lean closer to him.  
"You will never do this again, will you?" He whispered.  
"No, father." Draco whispered back, inwardly cursing the effects of the Veritaserum. "If you prove you don't hate me, then I won't."  
The fingers worked his shoulders a little harder suddenly.  
"You have no right to ask that, Draco."  
"Are they still at the hospital?" Draco asked with a very small voice.  
"No, Draco. It's around midnight the twentysecond. You've been out cold for a day."  
A day! No wonder he had been so hungry!  
Somehow it was easier to speak to Lucius when having his back to him and Draco dared to continue his questioning.  
"Is Rowan…alive?"  
"She's in a coma."  
A coma! Somebody ought to put Pansy in a coma!  
"How did you find me?"  
"That is my private matter."  
Draco sighed and started to relax from the treatment. Maybe his father was doing this to catch him unawares when the punishment began, maybe not.  
But it didn't matter. He closed his eyes.  
Only when his father pulled him backwards and had him on his back on the bed did he look up again. But Lucius touch had for once been so light that he felt no fear or tension. He knew he should, but as Lucius was looking down at him, partly sitting up, supporting himself on his elbow, Draco couldn't sense any threat.  
It was really strange.  
Lucius hand caressed his cheek and his forehead, scraping with his nails over the dried blood from the wound in his head.  
"I will put a spell on that, to keep it from infection until tomorrow." His father whispered. "Tonight we will both sleep here and you will continue to give me information whenever I want it."  
"Yes, father."  
Lucius smiled slightly and bent down to kiss Draco's lips. It was only much softer but more intense than before. Draco opened his mouth slightly and then their tongues had united again, Lucius seemingly taking his time to taste Draco thoroughly before releasing him.  
Then he stroked a strand of hair from Draco's forehead.  
"Did you like that?"  
"Yes, father." Draco gasped, unable to reveal anything but the truth.  
And it slowly dawned upon him that this night could stretch on forever, Draco high on Veritaserum and Lucius doing everything his twisted mind could come up with to use the advantage!  
Draco tried to rise from the bed, but Lucius pulled him down softly again.  
"Oh, no you won't." He smiled. "You'll have something to kill the pain from your wound and then you'll go to bed. With me."


	7. In bed with Lucius

oKAY.  
I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update for a while. I've been up to my…you know…in work and all work and no play obviously makes Redfern a dull boy. ;-P

Twentyfour reviews on one chapter.

Christ on a bicycle!

You people…THANK you for being as weird as I am about these sorts of Malfoycestic stories!  
There's about a full page of comments I would like to write to each of you, but I think you'll all be much happier if I just get on with the story.  
Only a few comments that I feel compelled to make:

**PoeticPoet: **I'd be honoured to give you input about a writing career thingie. Is there any way I can get a hold on your e-mail address or something like it? And where in the world do you live? Please let me know!

**Nardy: **About why Draco left the hospital: Yes, it could be interpreted in more than one way, but the true reason for leaving was the version he told his father. Pansy's attitude towards him was just something he used as an excuse. Thank you for being such a faithful reviewer, by the way! I'm always happy to see the first reviewers still hanging on!

I really hope you'll like the chapter and continue to enjoy the story through its few remaining chapters! Jeez…your support just rocks!

Love Redfern

**23RD DECEMBER: IN BED WITH LUCIUS**

The only break Draco was granted before going to bed was a visit to the toilet.  
And Merlin, did he need the privacy!  
After finishing his needs, he studied himself in the mirror anxiously.  
The wound in his head was a sharp contrast to his pale hair and skin and the dried blood that had trickled down his forehead made him look like some creature from a horror cabinet or maybe a ghoul.  
He washed every little bit off and took the opportunity to get rid of all dust and dirt that had been clinging to him since the meeting with Ernie and Buckley.  
Then he resumed his study in the mirror.  
A troubled face was looking back at him, revealing all worries concerning the waiting scenario. The Veritaserum was so strong that he could not even manage to change his facial expression too much from his true state of feelings.  
And out there, ten past midnight the 23rd, his father was waiting.  
What the heck was he planning this time?  
At least, Draco hadn't gotten beaten up…yet.  
But the soft, addictive caresses made him wonder if the beating would come at all. He knew he should keep his guard up, knowing what twists and turns his father liked to put on a situation. But his skin was still tingling from the touch and it wasn't the Veritaserum being the real drug in his system. He knew that.  
He was so hooked on this tenderness he had just gotten, that he would easily do anything to have it again.  
_Oh, please, let at least that be real!  
_And then he washed his face with cold water before going out. If he stayed on the toilet for too long, the anxiousness would increase to a point where it would be all too obvious. The less he thought on it, the better.  
And he walked out.

Lucius was standing by the fireplace and fed the flames more wood to heat up the cold room. Draco was grateful for it, since it had been freezing when they came in. But the thing that caught his attention first was the small amount of clothes his father was wearing.  
Lucius had his hair running freely over his shoulders and his dark, expensive shirt was unbuttoned, so that Draco could see the narrow string of curly white hair that ran from his chest and down to…his cheeks started to burn and he averted his eyes.  
Since Lucius took his time with the fire, he dared to continue watching him in less…private places. His father was still well trained, his naked thighs and chest smooth and firm, but naturally, he was longer and sturdier built than Draco. Their skin had the same hue of pale and Draco noted that even their nipples shifted into the same pale purple.  
It had to be a family trait.  
_I shouldn't be thinking about that!  
_"What are you doing, Draco?" Lucius asked him calmly, still not taking his eyes from the fire.  
"Looking at you." Draco answered, cursing the Veritaserum for the hundredth time.  
"Come here."  
Draco walked up to the fireplace very slowly, not taking his eyes from Lucius. His father did not turn to face him until he was standing in front of the flames. Then he simply put the fire poker down and started to unbutton Draco's shirt.  
Again, Draco had no idea which way to look. His gaze was flying between his father's fingers and the fire poke and suddenly he had a little start and gasped, searching eyecontact with Lucius pleadingly.  
"Oh, seriously, Draco! I wouldn't use that on you!"  
Draco sighed in relief over the fact that he and Lucius for once agreed about the limit for physical damage.  
"If I were to do that, I would have chosen a fitting symbol to brand you with, not just a crude mark."  
Draco held his breath.  
"And I would make sure you were properly tied up before I alerted you on what was about to happen."  
The shirt was open now and Lucius slid his fingers around Draco's neck and caressed it, while Draco struggled to suppress a question that was bound to come out anyway.  
"You won't just go away this time, will you?" Draco whispered.  
"You have some nerve asking that, considering that I caught you on your way to Romania."  
The answer was stern and Draco opened his eyes only to be instantly rewarded with that kiss on his forehead again.  
Draco let out an unsteady sigh and Lucius stepped closer so that their bodies were almost touching, before running his hand down Draco's chest and stomach.  
It was as if the hand left a trail of fire in its wake.  
And then he was trapped in a close embrace and the tongue entered his mouth again and Draco gasped, winding his arms around his father while allowing the hands to take his shirt off.  
He felt horribly vulnerable without his shirt and as his pants were being removed he started to struggle against the larger body.  
Lucius broke the kiss and grabbed his upper arms to face him.  
He looked very dangerous.  
"It's wrong!" Draco piped.  
"What!" Lucius barked.  
"It's…wrong…"  
Lucius flashed that superior smirk again and raised an eyebrow.  
"Is it?" He said in the most seductive, smooth voice Draco had ever heard.  
Then he started to drive Draco backwards towards the bed and force him to sit down.  
"Why don't you…tell me about it?" Lucius finished, and licked Draco's cheek and ear while the younger Malfoy struggled to get the words out and ignore the pleasant chills that the licking created.  
As usual, Draco tried to put the words right in his mouth and found them reorganized by the Veritaserum.  
"That…you…are my…father…and we…ah..."  
The tongue was in his ear now and the hands forced him down on the bed, slowly but firmly. But Draco started to become cold with fear, dreading the conclusion of their intimate act so much that he tried to free his arms and get away from the bed.  
Lucius allowed him to struggle for a little while before letting him go. Draco flew up from the bed quicker than lightning and stood on the floor on a safe distance while trying to get his pants back on with trembling hands.  
His father did nothing but folding his arms and gave Draco a quite predatory, amused gaze, letting the little seductive smirk play in his features again.  
This was heaven and hell at the same time! Draco had hardly any idea about what he was doing, but the urge to get his spontaneous impulses out was so acute due to the 'extra clear water' that there was nothing to do but to follow his instincts.  
Which also meant something else.  
Blushing, he decided to keep his pants off and hold them in front of his sex instead.  
Lucius smile only deepened.  
"I've already seen it, Draco."  
"You don't understand! This is insane, is this…is this all you want from me?"  
Lucius seized him up for a moment before speaking.  
"You are a virgin, aren't you?"  
Draco thought that the embarrassment would kill him.  
"Yes." He answered, very quietly.  
"How far did you ever go? Except with me?"  
"Kissing, only." Draco snapped, furious to be helpless slave to the truth.  
"Oh." Lucius raised an eyebrow again, a hint of annoyance showing in his cold eyes. "And who did you kiss?"  
"Pansy…at the ball." Draco pressed out. "And…Goyle!"  
No, no, no! Why wasn't he able to lie, just this once!  
"Goyle?"  
"It was truth or dare!"  
"Ah. Almost like this. Only, you are doing the truth-part alone."  
Lucius viewed him smartly.  
Draco hated this. He hated it, or he wanted it so much that he was terrified of it, or he wanted to eliminate all the forbidden thoughts from his head but then everything could go back to the way it was before and he could not stand that.  
"Do you love me, Draco?"  
"Yes."  
He couldn't speak louder than in a whisper and the tears he fought to keep unseen was burning in his eyes again, along with that horrid, empty space in his stomach.  
"Then it can't be wrong, now can it?"  
Draco shook his head slowly.  
"You were the one who initiated it in your room, weren't you?" Lucius continued.  
"Yes, but…" It took a lot of strength to keep the tears from spilling. "…it was because I wanted you to like me. And part of me wanted the kiss and I don't know why…I wished for it, I …"  
"…am a Malfoy." Lucius finished. "So you want me to like you, Draco?"  
"Yes." He whispered, feeling pathetic.  
"How far are you willing to go to attain that?"  
Lucius held his hand out and Draco looked at it for no longer than a few seconds before he took it and allowed Lucius to pull him into an embrace again and then down on the bed.  
"That's my boy." Lucius whispered soothingly in his ear, before grabbing the pants from Draco and dropping them on the floor.  
Draco was still very tense, but he fought to let the sucking on his neck and the caresses relax him. He was spent on brooding and his own despair. All he wanted was to drown in this now, to be led astray the way he had been in his bedroom until he no longer could feel any fear or regret.  
Until the pleasure was the only thing that mattered.  
His body quickened and came to life under the hands all too eagerly and although his heart was still beating wildly with fear, he allowed his father to grab his wrists and turn him around on his stomach.  
The next moment, Lucius had taken his wand out and cast a spell that held Draco's wrists tied to the bars on the bedframe with a black, scalecovered rope.  
Draco let out a gasp and shivered, wanting nothing else in the entire world but a reassuring word or gesture from the captor. Instead, he felt sharp nails clawing down his back with such brutal force that he screamed out loud without being able to stop himself.  
"Schhh, Draco!" Lucius scolded him.  
But Draco found himself tensing like a pianostring about to snap and pulled his hands against the rope. His eyes had filled with tears to the point where his vision blurred, but he did not care.  
He had been tricked into another cruel game again with those soft, seductive caresses and the Veritaserum made the devastating anger and disappointment launch out uncensored.  
"LET ME GO!"  
He tried to snake his way out from the heavy weight on his thighs where his father straddled him, but a strong hand gripping his hair and pulling his head back stopped the attempt.  
"Why, do you not think you have deserved this?" Lucius hissed in his ear.  
"NO! I WISH I COULD HATE YOU, YOU…"  
A fist slamming into the side of his face transformed the last words into a cry and a deafening silence followed, where Draco fought to catch his breath and prevent himself from spitting blood. His cheeks were streaked with tears within seconds.  
"Don't you EVER raise your voice to me again!"  
His father's voice was sharp as a razor and the hand pulled his hair painfully hard from behind, but the drug had possessed him and there was no way to walk but forward.  
"You must really HATE me!" Draco sobbed.  
"YOU TRIED TO LEAVE ME!" Lucius roared, yanking Draco's hair to pull his head back, in a threatening show of force.  
Draco whimpered and felt the older Malfoy lean down over him, to place his mouth close to Draco's ear.  
"If anything calls for redemption, this certainly does!"  
"But you made me do it!" Draco gasped. "In the library…when I was ill…when you spoke about my future, you made me realise there was nothing to lose- OOOW!"  
Lucius twisted his fist in Draco's hair around and Draco let out a new series of miserable sobs. He tried to kick back at Lucius a few times, but the weight on his thighs was too much and instead he did the thing he had taught himself to do at a very young age. He fought to relax into the pain, to distance himself from it enough to handle it.  
"Don't even try, Draco, or I'll have you flogged in public down at the Knockturn Slave Market!"  
"You were speaking about yourself." Draco whispered.  
"What was that, Draco?"  
The grip in his hair tightened and his cheek was pressed down against the pillow.  
"You were speaking about yourself in the library that night!" Draco repeated, managing to make his voice amazingly steady despite the pain.  
When Lucius answered him, Draco could hear that his voice was thick from suppressed fury.  
"And if I did, then how is it that YOU ran away?"  
The nails were digging into his skin again, starting to move down painfully slow and Draco panicked.  
"I only did it because I…OW!... wanted you to come after me! I wanted you to care…enough…to…show me…it…mattered… to…you…if…I…stayed!"  
"Really?"  
The voice was sceptical, but the nails had stopped.  
"Yes! And once we were in Romania I just thought that maybe…we could have stayed there…"  
Draco's voice trailed off. He had turned his most private thoughts and feelings inside out for the one person who could destroy him by any emotional rejection. He shut his eyes tight and swallowed, scared to death about the response.  
If his father replied with his characteristic contempt, then he would die!  
The silence stretched out.

Then the fist released his hair and instead a warm kiss was placed where it had been. The mouth touched the nape of his neck as well, sending wave after wave of shivers through him as the teeth bit there lightly while the tongue tasted the skin.  
Draco never noticed the ropes disappearing. Suddenly they were just gone and Lucius was turning him around, meeting his feverish cheek with a kiss. But Draco turned his head to catch the lips with his mouth and was invaded with that intense, cruel tongue, claiming him completely.  
Lucius body was still over him and moved against his naked skin, while a hand slid down to his thighs, clawing at it enough to make Draco arch his body up against his father's in pain.  
But Draco was set on clinging to Lucius and merely answered by embracing his father tightly, digging his nails into his back.  
A knee was pushed in between the thighs and soon enough that dizzying feeling was back again and all blood seemed to rush down to the sensitive area as the pressure from the knee became painful against his growing erection. Draco held his eyes closed and rode on the maddening feeling as the pleasure mingled with the pain, even starting to jerk his hips up against it.  
Then the weight lifted and Lucius pushed both his legs apart with his own, while letting a hand snake down Draco's belly. The younger Malfoy started to breathe shakily and when the hand found its goal, he couldn't help but to let out a small cry.  
"Schhh…" Lucius whispered into his ear, letting a finger slide across the length of Draco's hard organ, causing it to twitch with pleasure from the touch before the hand closed around it and started to stroke it with slow, calculating movements.  
There was no up and down in the world anymore and if it existed, well, then he didn't know which was what.  
His father was over him again, sucking at his ear and then at his neck, and the warmth rising as their bodies were so intertwined created pleasant, ecstatic chills through every limb.  
Draco threw his head back against the soft pillow and moaned wantonly, his body fully focused on following his father's directories. He kept his eyes closed in an attempt to shake off whatever need of control there was left.  
Oh, this felt too good, far too good…  
The hand that had pulled at his hair before was now stroking it, occasionally leaving it to caress his forehead and his cheeks.  
And the other hand was teasing and playing with a skill that had Draco engulfed and completely at its mercy within seconds.  
Lucius was watching him intensely and the mingled anxiety and excitement from it gave him a kick worthy of pure heroin.  
Again, Lucius reminded him of a predator, his superiority being so unquestionable, that giving over all control was the only way out.  
And it was a real turn on.  
Draco couldn't deny it to himself any longer, as his senses were practically on fire. Not only by the irresistible strokes, but also by the knowledge about who did this to him.  
_This is sick!  
_But the inner voice sounded very weak and was soon washed away by the fingers making their way into him.  
He suddenly became aware of the rapturous sounds he was making, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was those stone grey eyes glimmering close to his own and the invasion between his legs that caused a heated sensitivity in the area that became the base for the unavoidable coming climax.  
Draco pushed his hips up to reach deeper into his father's hand as he thought the strong ecstasy would kill him if he did not get release, but Lucius pressed him down and kept a steady pace until Draco's self-control collapsed like a house of cards.  
"I-I can't hold back…!" He whimpered.  
Lucius leant closer to his ear with the swiftness of a malicious tiger playing with its prey.  
"Come for me then, Draco. Come in my hand."  
The whisper worked like a magic spell on his system, just like all orders Lucius gave him and his body was ready to obey this time too.  
Writhing and moaning loudly, Draco released the full rush of the pleasure built up and got lost in wave after crushing wave of it. He was arching his back far up, as if he was weightless and only held down by his father's body over him. Lucius tongue was moving inside his ear, intensifying the climax a hundred times.  
Draco groaned and gasped, trying to regain his breath from the exhaustion once the waves had died off a little.  
His body slumped back against the mattress and he opened his eyes slowly and tried to focus, trembling in every limb. His hands were still on Lucius' back, the fingers ceasing their desperate digging into his skin and Lucius was smiling in an odd sort of way, triumphant maybe, but there was something else to it and suddenly Draco felt his father's fingers against his lips.  
"Lick it off, Draco." He said in that seductive voice.  
And now he became aware that Lucius' hand was coated with Draco's seed, still warm from the act. Did his father want him to lick everything off?  
It seemed like quite a lot!  
He carefully started to suck at the fingers, finding the taste strange and awkward. To his relief, Lucius removed the fingers after only a moment and sat up with aristocratic grace to wipe the white liquid off on the sheets.  
He smiled down at Draco all the time, who was still laying on his back trying to ward off an increasing shyness and embarrassment over whatthey had just done.  
Lucius took his time to clean his hand and once he was done, he leaned down over Draco again, kissing his damp cheek.  
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?"  
"No…" Draco whispered and swallowed.  
Lucius grabbed him by the arms and pulled him up, so that they were sitting in front of each other on the bed, with Lucius hands still holding him. Draco found it impossible to meet the older Malfoy's gaze.  
"So I did you a favour." Lucius said, with a voice softer than Draco had ever heard it. "And now I expect you to do _me _a favour. On your knees, on the floor. Now."  
Draco hesitated only for a moment before he did as told and Lucius directed him to kneel in front of his father, close enough to lean his head to his…and then he understood.  
Draco was sure the colour in his face must be dark red and on instinct he averted his eyes and turned his head away. Lucius had his jaw in a steel grip instantly and forced Draco to meet the soft but dangerous smile.  
"You wanted this, Draco. And now we will see it through. Get to work."  
Lucius hand slid up from his jaw to sink into his hair in the back of his head and Draco took one glimpse at the large, hard organ before him before he brought his lips down to taste it.  
The grip in his hair hardened as he tried to take it into his mouth and soon he was tightening his mouth and tongue against all the length he could take.  
He heard a quiet intake of breath from his father and had pleasant chills down his spine as he realised that it meant some sort of confirmation.  
He was doing something that pleased his father for once and the eagerness to fulfil it became urgent.  
Draco got to work putting all his will into it, even though the sex thrusting into him really was a little too large to be in there and the hand pressing his head closer was a bit too rough. He fought to do it right, listening after every little breath or sound that might escape Lucius' lips, to know if he was doing it right.  
He obviously was, because suddenly the hand pushed his head close enough to almost choke on the living flesh pulsating against his tongue and the tight grip in his hair became painful.  
"Yes, that's it, that's it…" Lucius hissed in a strained voice, sounding almost on the verge of losing its steadiness and a moment later, his father was thrusting into him recklessly, filling his mouth with the hot, slippery wetness as Draco struggled to breathe and suck at the same time.  
Finally, the pressure on his head subsided and he could draw his head back a little. But Lucius stopped him from drawing out completely and as Draco was at a loss about what to do with the seed in his mouth, he had the instructions coming to himas an undeniable order.  
"Swallow it."  
He really wished his father had not said that, but he had no intention on disappointing him now and instead he forced it down his throat, occasionally gagging from it.  
All the time, Lucius stroke his hair gently, clearly taking pleasure from the sight.  
When it was done, he dragged Draco back up into the bed and embraced him, giving him an affectionate, claiming kiss before laying him down between the sheets. Draco was grateful for it. He was exhausted and apart from that, in desperate need of confirmation and tenderness.  
Lucius lied down behind him, pressing close to his back and buttocks while placing his arms possessively around him.  
Draco was still trembling and he could not understand why. But as soft kisses landed on his neck and his hair, he relaxed into the wanted intimacy and leaned back to be even closer.  
"I'm very pleased with you, Draco."  
The whisper caused new streams of chills to rise from the depths.  
He had dreamed of hearing this, or more accurate, he had never dared to dream it, because it meant too much to him.  
"I love you, father." Draco whispered back, feeling the first glimpses of genuine meaning behind it, its source being vast enough to be frightened of.  
"I know you do, Draco." Lucius whispered back, stroking his hair. "And I know you will fulfil this with me when I demand it from you."  
"Fulfil it, father?" Draco whispered back, at a loss about how to interpret it.  
"You're still a virgin, aren't you? And I told you it was to be a Christmas gift, did I not?"  
Lucius laughed quietly as Draco tensed like a bowstring from the realisation. He twitched slightly as Lucius sucked at his neck, directly at the mark he had done days before.  
"Go to sleep, Draco. I will never leave you and if you try to leave me again, I will have you chained to the wall in my office permanently and you know I will do it."  
"Yes, father." Draco answered timidly, finding no strength in his voice at all.  
So there was still this scary, unknown thing to go through and he had not lost his virginity at all as he had thought despite all the…intimate stuff they had been doing.  
Obviously, they were returning to Malfoy Manor in the morning and as the real world slowly returned, Draco did not want to even imagine the look on Pansy's face when she saw the fresh redness on the throat. Nor the face of his mother.  
But it was worth it.  
His father was pleased with him and right now it meant that the rest of the world could burst into flames and turn to cinders for all he cared.


	8. The shards of the family

Hello?  
Does anybody remember me?  
Or as Pink Floyd chant: Is there anybody out there?

I am deliriously happy that the reviews have kept coming, despite my looong vacation from this site. As some may have guessed, there hasn't been any vacation outside this site. But I'm on to it again. I have longed for the moment when I could finally update the story and it might please you to know that I'll have a three month vacation from June. In other words, the update will never be as delayed as it was now.

Well, what finally got me to write, was all the little ferrets following me around everywhere. When I opened my eyes at night, they were there, right beside me in bed. Just staring. So, here's a new chapter and it's twice as long as the others just to plead mercy, so **Bluebird 161221**, would you please remove the ferrets now?

Please?

**24TH DECEMBER: ****THE SHARDS OF THE FAMILY**

The sun was almost about to set as Draco returned to his family home with his father.  
They had slept through most of the day back at the Dragon's Den, or more accurately, Draco had. Lucius was one of those rare wizards who never seemed to need more than three or four hours of sleep and spent the rest of the night in a restless scheming and pacing.  
As they walked the last steps up to the front door in the biting wind, Draco closed his eyes for half a second to brace himself for the waiting scenario.  
When he had woken up at the Inn, this profane existence had seemed so distant and elusive, as if it was vanishing smoke from a fire recently put out. His father had been reading by his side, holding a book elegantly with one hand and resting his other hand at Draco's head.  
Draco had been pretending to sleep for a while, just to savour the pleasure. But the hand wasn't touching him in a loving way. It wasn't even protective. The word for it was rather possessive.  
And once Lucius had noticed he was awake, Draco had been ordered to get ready to leave. Not a lot of words had passed between them since.  
But there was no need for it.  
Draco felt as if an invisible cord leapt between them, providing both with a better understanding for the other.

The front door burst open so suddenly, that Draco involuntarily blinked and took a step back.  
"Where, by Merlin's grave, have you been!"  
Narcissa stood on the doorstep with fiercely glimmering eyes, looking more offended than concerned. All the guests were assembled behind her and seemed to gorge at the scene for all they were worth. This was the annual gossip, no doubt, and they obviously wanted to make sure not to miss one single detail.  
Draco averted his eyes quickly and waited for his father to answer.  
"It was as I suspected." Lucius replied, seemingly detached from the excitement around him. "Dumbledore's followers tried to kidnap him for blackmailing reasons, but unfortunately for them, Draco is still a Malfoy and handled the situation quite well on his own. Nevertheless, I arrived at the last moment."  
There was a second of silence as the small crowd seemed to ponder what had been said and they were obviously far from satisfied in the matter.  
Draco nodded to confirm what Lucius had just said and he was careful not to look at his mother. His cheeks were getting hot and he wanted nothing more than the solitude of his own room.  
"You need to rest now, Draco. Go up to your room."  
"Yes, father."  
The command could not have been more needed and Draco was halfway to the stairs when Narcissa's demanding voice rang out behind him.  
"Draco Malfoy!"  
Draco stopped short and turned around slowly, tilting his head a little to the side to look more innocent and devoted.  
"Yes, mother?"  
Narcissa folded her arms.  
"You are still wearing your outer robes."  
Damn it! Why did she have to notice? The knitted scarf was hiding the scandalous mark so well!  
"Yes, mother. I'm very cold. I'll take it off upstairs."  
"Now, Draco!"  
Draco reached for the clasps on his robe and realised the game was over.  
"Let him keep the robes." Lucius said, with an authority that could not be questioned. "Draco, I told you to go to your room."  
"Yes, father."  
Draco headed for the stairs again, grateful for the quick intervention. But one look behind his back revealed a number of things.  
His mother's gaze gave her true feelings away, even though she wore her polite smile as usual. Lucius had spoken against her in front of the guests and that was not to be easily forgiven. The other thing was a lurking suspicion in her delicate features. She had not bought the story at all. But what she was really thinking, Draco could only guess.  
But he could not care less at the moment. He truly needed to be alone and as soon as he had his privacy, he dived down beneath the soft, thick covers in his oversized bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

A soft hand was stroking his forehead. Draco could not stop a content smile from spreading across his face. So his father had come to wake him up for dinner…  
Draco reached for the hand and placed his fingertips against the soft, smooth skin. It seemed, in fact, to be just a little too smooth and…small.  
Draco's eyes flew open.  
"Pansy!"  
Pansy drew her hand back as he sat up briskly, but she still smiled at his reaction. That was, until she saw the mark shine at her with renewed intensity.  
Draco sighed as her affectionate gaze turned to stone.  
"What are you doing in here? This is my private bedroom!" He snarled at her.  
Pansy answered with a voice colder than death.  
"I have some things to do." She said, never taking her eyes of Draco´s throat. "And before I leave, is there something you would like to tell me?"  
Draco reflected for a second.  
"No."  
"Fine, then. Perfect."  
Pansy rose from the chair and strode out of the room with the grace of an angered queen. Draco watched her leave and leaned back against the pillows again before it hit him.  
She might have figured it all out!  
What if she suspected that Lucius had been involved and was going for him next? Well, that would be her loss, but even worse, what if she ran straight to his mother with the news?  
Draco flew out of bed and started to dress with the speed of a restless snitch. All sorts of horrible scenarios were passing before his inner eye, but the worst thing all was a burning, gnawing guilt in his stomach that seemed to increase by the minute.  
The first thing he attended to was hiding the mark, though.  
So, the robes were on and he was ready to rush after her, but what was he supposed to do once he caught up with her?  
It was out of the question to beg, Malfoys did not do that, and judging by the look in Pansy's face, he had better to come up with something really inventive to calm her.  
No matter. He had to do it. The threatening disaster was too vast to be allowed to strike.

He found her within moments, on her way into her room.  
Characteristically, she closed the door behind her, just before he could enter. A few angry knocks brought her to the door and a cold, perfect mask of politeness became visible as the door opened only a few inches.  
"Yes, Draco?"  
"We need to talk." He pressed out, fighting to keep his impatience in check.  
"Oh?" She heightened an eyebrow in mild, faked surprise. "I thought you just decided that we did not need to talk."  
Draco sighed.  
"Can I come in?"  
She seemed to ponder this, just long enough to anger the living daylights out of him.  
"Sure." She said finally and the door was fully opened.  
Draco stepped in and the majority of his energy reserves were put on restraining his temper. Whose house did she think this was?  
Pansy simply sank down in an armchair by the window and picked up a quill and a parchment that looked too much like an unfinished letter.  
"Who are you writing to?" Draco asked, full of suspicion.  
"Does it matter? Just a…friend."  
She was deliberately mysterious and he hated her for it!  
"We can't continue playing games." He said. "You need to put this into perspective. Our parents are well acquainted with each other and we have two more years in school together. You need to accept that I make my own choices and move on."  
Pansy was on her feet with flaming eyes within seconds.  
"How DARE you come in here an lecture me!"  
"Do you know what is going on, Pansy?"  
"I know enough! You make out with someone in this house, probably Rowan, since your father took you to a whorehouse when your sweet little slut hit the floor!"  
A whorehouse? Why had he not thought of this himself?  
"If you hope to win me back, you will never have me with those methods." Draco said in a low voice, trying to play on his well-trained charm.  
Pansy frowned at this and took a step towards him, so that her eyes were frightening close to his own.  
"Win you back, Draco?" She whispered back, letting an edge of mockery slip into her voice. "How you flatter yourself. Haven't you guessed? I do not want you back after the way you tried to humiliate me in front of the entire table. No. I want to destroy you. Now, get out."  
Draco was in a shock, but he hid it well by letting a cold, contemptuous smirk meet her.  
"You are in my house." He said, with a pleasant voice.  
"Stay then." She snapped and returned to the chair. She picked up the quill and the letter without looking at him. "Just be sure not to disturb me while I'm writing."  
Draco watched her for only a few seconds before he left the room. After all, his worst fear was dismissed. Pansy had declared war, but still she seemed to lack the imagination to dream up the truth. And if she wanted a battle, she was on his ground anyway. He only wished he could have had peace to solve everything going on within his own family.  
He could not quite shake off the unpleasant fear of his mother finding out and the growing guilt was even more disturbing.

As he put on his best face to attend dinner, the feeling increased.  
It was as if he really saw his mother for the first time, playing the perfect hostess and struggling to preserve a smooth balance between all the present, regardless of what she might think or feel.  
He could not look at his father during the entire dinner and as he was finally allowed to leave the table, he kept his schoolmates entertained the rest of the evening with a perfect act that he could practically play in his sleep.  
When it was finally time to go to bed, he snuck down the stairs to the library and fetched the family album. As he returned to his bedroom, Draco became aware of the heavy ache in his stomach.  
What was this? He was not supposed to have a conscience, now was he?  
With a heavy sigh he sat down on his bed and started to flip the pages. Naturally, all photographs were carefully arranged and a perceptive eye was needed to interpret the dignified faces looking back at you.  
The first page was open.  
A wedding picture of his parents. Both were smirking, but serious. Lucius held his hand on Narcissa's shoulder, like the perfect, protective husband.  
Draco turned the page quickly.  
Now there was a scene from right after Draco was born. Lucius stood in the middle of an admiring crowd of younger Notts and Parkinsons with the newborn Draco resting in his arms. Draco knew this picture had been published in the gossip magazine _The Quibbler_ as well, with a headline saying _The heir of the Malfoy fortune! _on the first page. Lucius was looking down at the infant with a triumphant smile and Mr Nott's arm was reaching out to touch Draco's hand again and again, as the movements in the picture were forever caught in a timeloop. Again, Lucius was posing as the perfect father of the family. But Draco wanted to see more in the smile he received in the picture. Maybe it was not just for show. Maybe Lucius was truly as proud as he looked.  
Another page was flipped.  
Narcissa was holding him, sitting on a chair with a motherly, loving expression as she gazed down at the child in her lap. Draco was about one year old, smiling at her with a toothless grin as he reached for her face with a tiny hand.  
The pain in his stomach increased.  
Time to turn the page.  
Now there was a family photo of all three. Draco was five years old here, doing his best to imitate his father's posture and superiority towards the photographer. Lucius was looking straight into the camera as well, but Narcissa's head was turned to Lucius. She had the devoted face of a woman truly in love.  
The album was slammed shut.  
He did not want to see anymore of it!  
He crept under the covers quickly and tried to sleep, but every time he shut his eyes, the picture of the little Draco and the loving Narcissa appeared in front of him. She might not show her feelings openly to him anymore, as she now belonged to the Malfoy family, but the fact that she might still love him as much he had never reflected upon until now.  
What if he wasn't as alone at home as his father wanted him to think?  
He tossed and turned for hours and when sleep finally came, it was only because he imagined Lucius arm around him, just as it had been last night.

The house elf woke him up at seven the next morning. It was custom at Christmas Eve to attend breakfast in finer robes than usual and Draco went to work with his appearance at once.  
One hour later he was perfect.  
The mark on his throat was carefully covered up with the special vial he had and he posed before the mirror for a few seconds, content with the result. He was definitely dressed to kill and he hoped that the mere sight of him would bring Pansy to tears of regret.  
And the other side of it was, he wanted to look his best in front of his father. Draco's reflection revealed how his face shifted into a slightly paler colour. No matter how he tried, he could not get rid of that sickening weight in his stomach. What was going to happen now was way above his head. It was one thing trying to master the changing relationship between him and his father, but it was an entirely different and more sinister task trying to handle it in front of the third pillar of the family, Narcissa.  
Well, he had to do it and especially tomorrow night. Every year at Christmas Day, the Malfoy manor became host to a Yule ball, where all influent purebloods gathered as a reassurance of their importance.  
And Merlin help him if he screwed it up.

Breakfast seemed to run smoothly in a way it had not been doing for days. Everybody played along perfectly in the usual game of shallow politeness and false mutual friendship.  
Every now and then Lucius threw him a quick glance and Draco could tell the attention he received had turned into something a lot more predatory. Not that anybody else would notice, of course.  
And his mother showed no hint of discomfort, which Draco hoped meant that she had not understood.  
After breakfast, Draco made sure to take the younger guests out of the house, so that he would not be reminded of his inner conflict. His desperate need to rinse his head of all thoughts on the back of his horse led them to the stables and soon they were all out for a ride in the beautiful surroundings of the Manor, leaving clouds of glittering snow behind them as they competed through the winter landscape.  
This was exactly what he needed!  
He raced them all to an old medieval castle ruin on the edge of the Malfoy domains and naturally he won. His horse was one of those Arabian thoroughbreds, a black, perfectly shaped creature that moved like a bolt of lightning across practically any terrain. Since it was a Wizard's horse, it could also run shorter distances over lake surfaces.  
As the last competitors reached the ruin, Draco had already commanded his horse into trotting alongside its walls with Edwin for company. Their horses strode in perfect discipline beside each other as a tensed silence introduced Edwin's question.  
"Are you going with Pansy to the ball tomorrow?"  
Draco frowned slightly and fought to sound neutral.  
"Why do you ask?"  
Edwin hesitated a second.  
"I merely thought that if you would not…" Edwin began.  
"I will." Draco cut him off. "We always go and we will this year too."  
"Of course."  
Draco glanced at Edwin, who rode so politely beside him. He could have handed Pansy over to Nott, he would have been more than willing to. But after all, she had declared war on his territory and it was time to meet the provocation as it suited a Malfoy.  
Without mercy.

As a starry night sky spread out above the manor, everybody had retreated to the largest living room, where house elves almost collided with each other to serve the Lepricorn Liqueur and the Faerie-made Absinthe quick enough for the waiting guests. Most of the adults had gathered around the great fireplace, sipping from their exquisite crystal glasses while participating in a lively discussion. Everybody was in high spirits, including the youngsters who had placed themselves at the gaming board.  
Edwin was just about to beat Millicent at wizard chess as Draco heard Narcissa stating to the guests that she would get the photo albums from the library. Draco rose from his chair in the middle of a staged friendly chat with Pansy, almost on instinct, and headed for the library door to catch up with Narcissa.  
"I'll help you, mother." Draco declared, smiling in a way he knew would enthrall the gathered parents.  
He even intercepted her to reach the doors quicker, only to hold them up for her. His mother smiled warmly at him a she walked through, followed by several 'aaww's from the couches and armchairs. But Draco felt a curious and suspicious gaze upon him from Lucius before he entered the library and shut the door.  
Finally, he was alone with his mother.  
"It's these ones I need, Draco." Narcissa declared and pointed towards the newer family albums.  
Draco nodded and piled the expensive leather albums up in his arms while desperately trying to think of something to say. Then the words just came.  
"I looked in one of these last night, mother."  
He glanced at her and she heightened an eyebrow elegantly.  
"Did you?"  
"Yes."  
Then there was only silence and Draco tried to fill it up once more.  
"It was the one with the wedding pictures of you and father and…the first photos taken in my early childhood."  
"Oh."  
Draco waited for her to say something, to ask him why he had been looking at them, anything! But she was silent, seemingly brooding over something. Then she simply opened the door for him and they were back in publicity again.  
Draco was instructed to hand the albums out to the guests, but before he could return to his seat, Narcissa laid her arm over his shoulders and led them to stand by Mr Nott's chair.  
"Come here, Draco. I want to show you something." She smiled.  
She was suddenly beaming with warm affection for him and Draco felt himself open up for it, starved of those rare emotions as he was.  
Mr Nott had been given the album specially designed to contain the short history of Draco and as he opened it, Narcissa commented the pictures loud enough to engage the rest in the exhibition.  
"Look here, Draco! It was right after you had taken your first steps. We were so proud of you and the next day we bought you your first Baby Broomstick as a reward."  
If the guests were bored by the lecture, they sure hid it tremendously with eyes glazed by drinks and something resembling the Christmas spirit.  
Draco smiled slightly, but inside he jumped around with relief. So this was all it took to have his mother showering him with maternal love and comfirmation!  
The strange spell he was under concerning his father seemed paler and less real all of a sudden. Maybe this was exactly the thing Lucius had not wanted him to discover, in order to have it his way!  
Narcissa kept on explaining the circumstances around another photograph, but Draco was barely listening.  
Could everything with his father have been a mere game, including the confirmations, the hot kisses and…the other activities? But the feelings between them had felt so real and Draco still needed them more than breathing.  
But somehow, Narcissa's tender act supplied him with fresh air to breathe and the desperate dependence on Lucius faded by the minute.  
Lucius seemed all too oblivious to the album about Draco anyway and sat still with a displeased sneer on his face, flipping the pages of another album as a gesture of boredom.  
For a moment Draco could not understand why. And then he realised that he might see his father for what he really was for the very first time, as well as his mother!  
The experience was overwhelming. Even though he felt dizzy from the overload of revelations, he kept a perfect smile up for all the guests. The conflict inside was suddenly too vast to control and there was only one thing to do now, before the family shattered like a fragile glass frame against the stone floor.

As soon as the adults broke up for the evening after hours of too many drinks, Draco waited a few minutes before sneaking away in the direction Narcissa had disappeared. He had spent the late hours in a fierce chess battle with Edwin and as they were sent to bed, the game was still unfinished. But Draco could not care less about it.  
He needed to tell her. Or at least to give her a hint about how much she mattered to him. For all he knew, she was the only person he could trust right now and that little grain of conscience he had found inside was making alarming noises.  
He just could not go through with this thing with Lucius, not after tonight when his mother had given over all affection so freely and unconditionally.  
But then again, he loved his father. He loved Lucius so much it almost killed him to abandon their secret.  
But there was no choice.  
He could not continue to receive his mother's love while having an affair with her husband under the very same roof. She would find out sooner or later and it was not worth the disastrous consequences it would have for the family!  
Narcissa had followed the hallway to the right, which meant that she was heading to the empty guestrooms. If Draco knew her right, she was probably making sure that perfection ruled the area for the arrival of the new guests tomorrow.  
Draco rounded the corner just in time to see her slip through the doorway of a room that had not been used for nearly a year and close the door. He was almost at the doorstep of that room and curled his fist to knock when he heard a voice from the other side of the door, clearly not belonging to his mother.  
"_That was quick, I must say."  
_Draco froze and moved to press his back against the wall beside the door. It was on pure instinct, since he was both trained in and used to eavesdropping.  
Draco heard his mother reply to the male voice, probably belonging to Mr Nott.  
"_I couldn't leave the room fast enough!"  
_"_Well, then."_ The presumed Mr Nott replied. _"I still hope you were careful not to be seen."  
_"_As if it would matter."_Narcissa said, with a cynical edge that Draco did not like at all. _"Lucius would not care even if I jumped from the roof and broke my neck and concerning Draco, I hope he does."  
_Draco's heart almost stopped. The frost started to creep up his veins and suddenly he was freezing cold. He must have heard wrong. But listening hard revealed only silence. Small noises were coming from the room. Were they…kissing?  
Then the male voice resumed the conversation, sounding too amused to match the subject.  
"_It was quite a performance with the albums."  
_They laughed quietly together. Then Narcissa dissimulated her voice to sound exactly like the perfect hostess, the voice Draco was so familiar with.  
"_And this is Draco taking his first steps…"_ Her cynical voice returned quickly. _"Merlin, I can't stand him! I never could. He's a spitting image of his father. All Malfoy and no Black. Unbearable.If Lucius had not been watching over him like a hawk all the time, I would have drowned him as a child."  
_The last part of the sentence sounded very seductive and as the kissing noises returned, followed by a few moans from his mother, Draco felt a weight in his stomach that made him unable to move from the spot.  
Draco stood paralyzed outside that door not knowing what to do. His world was in shards and trying to walk in any direction seemed pointless. His life seemed pointless.  
It was like having a nightmare wide awake, as if all the worst fears and demons inside had taken shape and manifested into his mother an her lover.  
There was a sound further down the hallway and Draco realised that his father was approaching him with soundless steps, only to lean his back against the wall opposite to Draco and fix him with a sharp, reproaching gaze.  
Draco returned the stare. If Lucius was going to dump him as well, telling him what a pain in the ass he was, at least he was going to face him as he said it, even if it would destroy him.  
But none of them had the chance to communicate before the voices in the room started the conversation again.  
"_I take it you will not bother with dragging your son along then if you leave with me?"_ Mr Nott asked rhetorically.  
"_It takes a Malfoy to put up with one and I am certainly more than fed up with them both."_Narcissa purred. _"I have not even shared the same bed as my husband since I had Draco. At least we do agree perfectly on that matter."  
_Draco scanned his father's face for any reaction.  
But Lucius kept looking at him in silence, merely arching an eyebrow at the statement and he did not look the slightest surprised.  
There was no need for any 'what did I tell you?' The silence between them spoke loud enough.  
Draco sighed quietly and felt how the bitterness practically beamed from him. He made no effort to hide it.  
Lucius answered it with a hint of a smirk, even though his eyes were still as serious as before. Then he glanced to the left quickly, meaning that it was time to leave. Draco shrugged slightly and Lucius took his hand and made him follow.  
Within moments they were out of the depressing area and walked through the large empty rooms of the manor.  
Draco still held his father's hand. Lucius had not let go and Draco was in no mood to break the contact. But the bitter taste would not quite give away.  
"Why did you not walk in and destroyed them?" Draco whispered.  
"Frankly, I do not mind enough to bother with the consequences." Lucius replied with the same low voice. "And secondly, it suits us perfectly tonight, having her attention diverted."  
"I hate this house." Draco whispered back. It was with pure sincerity and Lucius stopped to throw him a stern glare as they stood by the foot of the stairs leading up.  
"No, you don't. Our ancestors had this mansion built a long time ago and it is the base for the Malfoy empire. I will not hear such a thing from you again."  
Draco did not answer and as they reached the second floor, he realised that they were heading for his father's office.  
They had almost reached their destination when Lucius grabbed Draco and pressed him up roughly against the wall. Their mouths met in a harsh play and Draco winded his arms and legs around his father's body, experiencing a strong rush as he was pinned between the hard wall and the warm body pressing against him. Several of the portraits in the hallway made small shocking comments and gasps, but Lucius did not release his mouth until he seemed to be on the brink of devouring him.  
Then he smirked at Draco's willing response and ran his fingers through the younger Malfoy's hair.  
"Such an heir I have made." Lucius whispered and Draco could swear there was real pride in his voice. "It is nearly midnight. Are you ready to receive your gift, Draco?"  
"Yes, father." Draco replied without hesitation. "Anytime."  
Lucius held his chin for a moment and turned serious.  
"Then you agree to a sort of deal as well. You will admit to me having solely access to this part of your privacy. Any…infidelity…to this agreement will be seen as breaking a contract and it will upset me deeply."  
The tone rang with warning but Draco was not afraid. After all, this claiming was what he so desperately needed.  
"I understand, father. There is no need to delay this further, is it?"  
At this, Lucius let him down and grabbed both his wrists with a sly, hungry smile.  
"No Draco, there really isn't."


	9. Union of the snakes

Sunshine and ice cream to everyone!

Thank you for your wondrous enthusiasm, all of you! **Desiree K Troys** pursuits to make a better Englishman of me warms me as much as **Bluebird161221:s** little puffins and penguins do at night, as they crawl into my bed and just…stare.

So. This is NOT the last chapter, but we are getting close to the end of the story. And I should write a warning about a strong content in the chapter, but I will not insult your intelligence.  
I presume my readers rarely ever choose vanilla as a flavour on their ice cream, so to speak.

I hope you'll be entertained and that you won't think me as a complete psycho after this. You'll know I am.

Love redfern

**25TH DECEMBER; PART ONE: UNION OF THE SNAKES**

What was the definition of irony?  
That the Christmas holidays had started out in this room behind the office with Draco wanting nothing else to get out of there and now he never wanted to leave? As Lucius shut the door behind them to this private, intimate place and sealed the door with several safety spells, Draco took a quick glance at the scenery. He could not believe it was the same room.  
He did recognise the four poster bed and the fireplace, but there were a lot of new interesting details added to it. Several thick werewolf furs were laid out before the fire and the dark velvet cover over the bed was withdrawn, only to reveal an inviting group of soft pillows.A bottle of wine stood on the bed table, accompanied by two ancient cups that Draco knew belonged to a prized collection of family items.  
The warm flicker from the flames gave a safe and comforting atmosphere and right now, Draco did all he could to forget the words that had spilled from his mothers' lips. He wanted to forget all about her.  
And the reason to that stood by the door and finished the spells before turning to him with his wand still drawn.  
Draco did not feel the slightest afraid. The hard lesson he had learned recently had a sort of numbing effect on him that he could not shake off. Only a few days ago he might have feared for his health or even his life, locked into this room alone with his father, but now this was all he had left to keep him going.  
Uncertainty did set in though, under Lucius' intense gaze.  
"What are you thinking, Draco?" Lucius asked in a low, demanding voice.  
"Why? Is this another game of truth or dare?" Draco replied, meeting Lucius' gaze with more cynicism than defiance.  
Strangely enough, Lucius only continued to glare dead seriously at him for another second. Then he gestured to the furs in front of the fireplace.  
"Sit down."  
Draco arched an eyebrow and sighed, before doing as told. He faced Lucius and not the flames, but the heat still had a soothing effect on him, melting its way into the frozen emotions somehow.  
Lucius approached him slowly and took his seat opposite Draco, close enough for their legs to brush against each other.  
Draco felt heavier by the second, as if the crackling fire filling the silence tried to snap his feelings awake. But he fought against it.  
It would mean an overload now, far too much to handle.  
And then Lucius hand reached out and touched his cheek and he was sure it would burn him. It might as well have.  
He was still stuck under that intense gaze and those fingertips at his cheek felt like white heat, as if they burned through skin and everything to force all feelings out of him. He found himself staring blankly at Lucius for a few seconds and next everything was about fighting the tears back.  
Draco realised that his father must have noticed and he was not about to destroy that one lifeline he had left. With one great feat of strength, he swallowed the devastating need and reached out to his father's face with his own hand.  
Lucius eyes narrowed at the touch, seemingly both craving and puzzled.  
Draco leaned closer and spoke in a low whisper, making an effort to keep his voice steady.  
"Not in here. This is our place and she will not follow us in here."  
It felt good to say it and he had his reward with one of those pleased smirks that only Lucius could make.  
The hand that touched Draco's cheek got hold of his chin instead and now another hand was unlocking the clasp on his robes.  
Draco knew he would break if the pain was not stilled and suddenly he took a firm grip of Lucius hair and dived in for a kiss. Just as swiftly, Draco was on his back against the thick furs, his mouth filled with a tongue that licked his hungrily. Lucius tore at his clothes like a starving beast and Draco did all he could to assist the complete strip down.  
The heavy sighs competed with each other, followed by a desperate sound from Draco as their overheated skins finally touched.  
Then it was like lingering in a dreamlike limbo, having Lucius' strong body over him, receiving and answering the kisses, lickings, caresses and scratches, feeling the soft and soon too warm furs tickle his back and sometimes opening his eyes to feast in rapt fascination on how the flames from the fire reflected themselves on his father's body and face.  
There was soft sucking at his throat, escalating to irresistible pain, fingers tracing his thighs so lightly, only to curl into dangerous claws.  
His body was ready for Lucius within moments, reacting in every desired way to meet his father's needs, no matter how dangerous and devouring they were.  
When the predatory mouth stopped to taste him and Lucius rose on his elbows to lean over him, Draco blinked several times to regain some amount of self-restraint. He found himself gasping with his arms wrapped around Lucius' neck, his fingers deeply entangled in the pale hair and his thighs separated and eagerly pressed against his father's hips.  
Lucius gaze was eating its way into him, his grey eyes lively with predatory greed. They were both damp from the heat already and Draco found it extremely arousing, along with the intense attention he now received.  
He loosened a hand from his father's hair and ran his fingertips over the cheekbone and the strong jaw, unable to hide his admiration.  
He could allow himself to do this now, to study Lucius so frankly without fear of aggression.  
Handsome would not quite cover it. There was something else, an almost supernatural magnetism mingled with the strong air of authority and the habit to simply take what he craved. Like the leader of a wolf pack, a superior creature with uncanny intelligence and strength, with no fear at all to use his skills.  
Draco moved his head up a little to reach for another kiss, but Lucius grasped his hair harshly and pulled him back against the furs, his grey eyes glimmering like ember in ashes.  
"Let's see if you can beg properly, Draco." Lucius whispered demandingly.  
The command sent dark shivers of undiscovered pleasure through Draco. He did not have a word for it, but the eagerness his body showed to please Lucius in the matter caused blood to rush to his cheeks.  
"Please, father!" Draco tried, speaking in no more than a breathless whisper. "Don't stop!"  
Lucius answered with a sadistic smirk  
Draco sighed and gasped as Lucius lips closed over his again and invited the salty tongue with his own. He felt penetrated by it, as if his father took the pleasure of desecrating him in advance. It did not matter. All that mattered was that their bodies kept being locked together, that their lips touched and tasted each other, and even the pain was a reassurance of affection.  
Then his hair was gripped again and Lucius pulled him up on his knees and made him bend down enough to touch the hard, bigger sex with his lips.  
Draco received it with a lot more passion than last time.  
It felt sort of different doing it when still drugged on lust and working it with his mouth overheated his senses enough to let his self-restraint go. He dug his fingers into his father's hips, which was followed by a stronger pull in his hair. But he was not interrupted and Lucius started to make noises that reminded him of a frustrated beast before removing him harshly and lifting him in his hair to his feet.  
With a violent push, Draco hit the bed with a frightened gasp and Lucius attacked, holding him down while forcing his legs apart with his own.  
Draco's heart started to beat wildly with fear and for a moment his mind went crystal clear.  
This was really it. His father was going to fuck him!  
Draco started to struggle in panic.  
"Wait…wait!"  
But Lucius seemed to pursue his cause even more aggressively.  
"Quiet, Draco!" He snarled, while catching both Draco's wrists with one hand and pinning them above his head just like that first time in the library.  
Then he felt that hard, hot flesh against his narrow opening and he had a start. It was way too big!  
"Please…we have to wait!" Draco gasped. "It won't work!"  
Lucius smirked at him in a strange, threatening way and without warning he shoved wet, slippery fingers inside of Draco, moving them back and forth to the sounds of Draco's desperate, frightened moans.  
"You have to trust your father." Lucius whispered close to his ear, pausing to lick it. "I know what's best for you."  
Draco winced from the unexpected wicked pleasure the words caused. And the fingers were moving so firmly and skilfully that there was no way of denying them access. Soon they had found that spot that made him writhe and groan with conflicting feelings.  
One moment he was hanging on to what they did to him and the next they were gone and instead Lucius' sex was placed against his opening again.  
"Look at me, Draco."  
Draco realised his eyes had been shut and opened them carefully to look at his older relative.  
Lucius eyes were glazed and hungry, filled with cruel triumph.  
Draco drew his breath shakily, feeling every muscle tense for the unavoidable. He tried to plead to Lucius with his eyes, but his father only seemed to reach new levels of insatiable lust.  
The thrust came so suddenly that Draco cried out loud and threw his head to the side, clenching his teeth to bear the torture.  
This was unendurable! The pain exploded in his head and leapt like fire through him and Lucius just kept going, pushing in with too much force.  
"Father, PLEASE! STOP!"  
The tears started to spill.  
"Look at me!"  
Lucius grabbed his chin and pulled his head back to face him. Draco fought to do as told between the small sobs and met the hot, affectionate gaze and the surprisingly soft smile.  
"You want to please your father, don't you?" Lucius whispered with unexpected tenderness and even licked a salty tear away from Draco's cheek.  
"Yes, father." Draco sobbed, suddenly reminded of what he would risk if he denied Lucius this.  
"Good boy." Came the sweet whisper and then Lucius pushed the full length into him with a snarl and Draco was sure it would rip him in pieces. He could not stop himself from screaming and he only hoped that Lucius understood that he would need to be perfectly still not to cause the extreme pain to increase.  
But thrust after agonizing thrust followed and strangely enough, pleasant shivers started to leap along his spine. The thought of not merely having Lucius beside him, but _inside_ him was ecstatic. The feeling of being claimed so completely and being brutally taken with no sense of control at all made the lust work itself up again, enough to meet Lucius' desperation on equal ground.  
The pain became a trigger for oversensitivity and arousal and soon enough, Draco winded his legs around his father's waist to give him better access to reach into him. He met Lucius gaze with the same furious hunger and started to push his hips up to meet the vicious thrusts.  
"Oh, yes…yes!" Draco heard himself gasp. "Don't stop…fuck me harder!"  
Lucius reacted as if gasoline had been thrown on an already raging fire and pushed them apart as he mercilessly threw Draco on his stomach instead and grasped his hips. Within moments he was inside Draco again, this time with no concern at all about moving in a little inch at the time.  
Draco moaned aloud, trying to hold on to the thick cover to gain some balance through the dizziness. His sex was throbbing and aching against it and he whimpered with disappointment as Lucius drew him up on his knees and made him stand on all fours while thrusting hard and greedily into him. One fist was held at his hip, keeping him trapped against Lucius crutch with nails that broke through his skin in the fits of rapture.  
The other fist was curled around the nape of his neck, keeping Draco's head down as if holding it a gesture of submission and obedience.  
Draco realised that he was making a lot of noise, but he did not care. They were both panting and gasping and Lucius growled dangerously as he let the hand on Draco's hip slip around the hungry sex instead and jerked it demandingly.  
"You'll come when I tell you to!" Lucius ordered between the gasps.  
"Yes, father!" Draco moaned back, feeling the close climax tingling in his entire body.  
His father was thrusting against that special spot and suddenly he removed his hand from Draco's neck and used it to dig into his hip as the other hand had.  
The little sense Draco felt he had left flew out the window.  
"Just fucking do it!" He urged, yelping as the hand on his hip suddenly slapped his buttocks very hard before resuming its position.  
"Such language!" Lucius scolded, but his voice told Draco that he truly enjoyed this little game. "I really need to teach you a lesson, don't I?"  
He took hold of Draco's thigh suddenly, forcing his leg to bend up against his stomach while Lucius held it locked with the arm that worked his oversensitive organ. Then he laid his weight partly on Draco to force him down against the sheets and now they were lying on their sides instead, with Lucius leaning slightly over him.  
His father grabbed hold of his hair which he seemed to enjoy so much and forced Draco to display his throat. But the real sensation was, that with one leg bent up, Lucius seemed to get better access into him and for the first time Draco truly grasped the meaning of a penalty fuck. The thrusts went painfully deep now and came so fast that Draco had no time to brace himself for it. The tears trickled down his cheeks again; the grip in his hair only tightened and his sex was manipulated in such a way that it blew his mind to keep it under control.  
"Not until I tell you!" Lucius demanded, his voice thick with pleasure. "Who owns you, Draco?"  
"You!" Draco whimpered with desperation.  
Oh, if he would only be allowed to come now, to show his father how obedient his body was and how much he aimed to follow his every whim!  
"Who is fucking you?"  
"You, father!"  
"You love me, Draco, don't you?"  
"YES!"  
"Say it!"  
"I love you, father!"  
"Then come for me, Draco!" Lucius hissed aggressively, pulling Draco's head back against him forcefully as he worked Draco up over the edge.  
Draco felt the first jerks preceding the climax and then his entire body seemed to explode in throbbing ecstacy, the strong, overheated pleasure pulsating through him in unendurable spasms as Lucius kept working him firmly through it. He writhed to be free or to thrust deeper into Lucius hand, he was not sure which, but the waves just kept coming and he lost all control over what he was doing.  
As it finally died out a little, his sex was still oversensitive just like his entire body, but Lucius was still pressing his thumb up and down against it in slow, firm movements, causing Draco to shiver uncontrollably with the painful pleasure.  
Lucius sucked at his earlobe softly, before whispering with his deceitfully sweet voice in his ear.  
"You know what happens now, Draco? Now is when I fuck your brains out and you are going to beg me to do it."  
Draco was pressed down against the sheets on his stomach without further delay and it felt wondrously perverted to feel his own warm seed clinging to the sheets against his own skin as Lucius licked his lips and grabbed hold of both his buttocks to finish the job. The deep thrusts felt harsher now as the climax was ebbing away, but his father's building excitement wasdriving him into a post-climactic arousal, enjoying the dirty little twist in the game.  
He felt spent beyond words, but to keep being used so directly for his father's pleasure was satisfying on an entirely new level.  
"You want this, don't you Draco?"  
"Yes, father!"  
He felt his organ twitch as he answered.  
"Tell me what you want!"  
"Spill everything into me, PLEASE!" Draco begged,speeding up the process the only way he could.  
His father answered with burning slaps on his buttocks until he cried aloud from the pain.  
"I have no idea who taught you to be such a bad boy!" Lucius reprimanded him, but Draco could hear that he was pleased with it all the same in his own sadistic fashion. "Take it then, you asked for it!"  
And it did not take long after that. His father quickened the pace in an almost unbearable way and then he felt the pain dimming his sight as Lucius recklessly struggled against his body, sounding frightfully alike the predator he resembled.  
Draco drew his breath as the pace subsided and noticed that he was shaking with exhaustion. Lucius was still panting heavily and without drawing out of him, he laid down on Draco, who allowed himself to relax against the cover as well. His father was quite heavy, but within seconds he wrapped an arm around Draco and tipped them over to the side.  
Draco felt how all tension started to relieve itself as Lucius tucked him close to his own body. They lay almost exactly as they had done in that room at the inn the other day, only this time everything was different.  
There was no wall between them anymore.  
Draco pressed himself against Lucius and revelled in how their damp bodies matched each other. Lucius entwined his fingers with Draco's and had him resting his head on his arm. Some strands of his father's hair was clinging to the cover under Lucius arm, close to Draco's head, and Draco took them into his free hand and caressed them slowly with his fingers while feeling the veils of sleep washing over him.  
The covers and sheets looked a mess. He could feel something warm and wet running down his thighs from his buttocks but he was too tired to care. Maybe he smelled blood or perhaps it was his father's seed. Both alternatives were wickedly satisfying. He had showed Lucius what he was ready to do to please him and Lucius seemed wondrously sated at the moment, even kissing his hair and neck tenderly as he too seemed to relax into his own world.

Draco woke up with a dry mouth and chills from the cold wetness of the sheets clinging to him. He could not feel Lucius near and quickly opened his eyes and sat up to survey his surroundings.  
His father was standing right beside the bed, pouring up some wine in one of the rare and expensive cups. He was still naked and wore traces of the recent activities.  
"Good morning, Draco." He said matter-of-factly, offering Draco the cup in his hand.  
Draco received it gratefully and took a sip before getting in to the conversation. The wine was deliciously smooth and juicy against his bitter-tasting tongue.  
"How long did I sleep?"  
"Only for forty-five minutes." Lucius replied, taking the other cup.  
"Oh." Draco tasted the wine again. "I thought nobody was supposed to touch these cups." Draco said, more like a genuine question than a provocation.  
"Your mother is not to touch these cups." Lucius corrected him. "That's why I have told her they hold a curse."  
Draco could not help smirking, despite the sting of pain the mentioning of his mother brought up.  
Lucius smirked back and seated himself on the bed without taking his eyes of Draco.  
"Are you in pain?" His father asked with strangely glimmering eyes.  
"You wish." Draco teased and then he quickly added, as he saw the scowl on Lucius' face. "Yeah, a bit."  
"Only a bit?"  
"All right, it stings and itches like hell."  
Lucius smiled as he had the correct answer and sipped some wine with his aristocratic manners intact, despite his condition.  
"You bled quite richly, Draco, so I took the liberty of stopping the flow. But you might have some inner wounds for a while."  
He said it as if he was discussing the weather and Draco could not help staring at him in admiration mixed with the feeling of suffering a great offence.  
"But you must have liked it." Draco said, imitating Lucius voice uncannily well.  
Lucius threw him a strange glance and put his cup down on the bedtable.  
"I think it's time to visit the bathroom." He said, reaching his hand out to Draco.  
Draco got hold of it and inched his way carefully out of the bed. As soon as he was on his feet, the real pain from the penetration emerged and Draco grimaced slightly as he realised the difficulties it would bring just sitting down and walking around.  
Lucius smirked at him again and took his face tenderly in his hands while kissing him affectingly, sucking his lips and tasting his tongue. Draco kissed him back, eager for the sensation, and wrapped his arms around Lucius neck. His father drew him close and embraced him as well, holding him tightly against his body until both of them started to get hard from the kissing.  
"Really, Draco." Lucius said, arching an eyebrow with a glint of amusement. "We were going somewhere, weren't we?"  
"Absolutely right, father." Draco replied, arching his eyebrow in the same manner to feign politeness.  
Lucius seemed to enjoy it and lead him out from the room, through his office and into another door where a private bathroom emerged.  
While Draco stood shivering on the cold marble floor, Lucius threw the same safety- and silencing spells on the door as he had in the bedroom.  
The marble was light green and several tastefully shaped silver candleholders hung on the wall, all which Lucius lit with a sweep of his wand.  
There was a shower place to the left and to the right there was a typical eastern bath that was sunk into the floor, complete with a stone bench beside it, carrying a pile of soft towels.  
As Lucius put his wand down on the bench, he took Draco by the hand again and led him to the shower.  
"Let's start here, shall we?" He suggested rhetorically.  
Draco only nodded, feeling his stomach twitch as he started to imagine all the promises the shower could hold. But his insides were really hurting and he hoped to have a milder treatment this time.  
Soon enough they stood under sprinkling water and Lucius started to clean him with a small cloth, as if he was a child. But Draco loved it and winced with pleasure under the warm water and the soft, seductive touches.  
He took his time to study Lucius meanwhile, taking pleasure from the sight of his body and hair getting soaking wet and even from the dried blood on his member.  
As Lucius reached the sensitive places, Draco reacted a little and Lucius turned him around very slowly.  
"Brace your hands against the wall, Draco. Legs apart, like that, yes."  
As the cloth caressed the narrow cleft between his buttocks and his thighs, Draco could not help but sigh and moan quietly as it caused this tingling feeling in his legs.  
"I hope you know who you belong to now." Lucius said softly. "If nothing else, you can feel it."  
When Draco did not answer at once, Lucius pulled his hair slightly.  
"Ow! Yes…"  
"You know there will be a lot of important people at the ball tomorrow as well."  
"Yes, father."  
"If you flirt with any of them, you will anger me in a way you have never seen before. Would you want that?"  
"No, of course not."  
Draco reflected only a second before he added:  
"But that goes for you too."  
The cloth moved to his balls and squeezed them lightly, forcing a groan out of Draco.  
"Really?"  
"Yes, father." Draco said, as resolute as he could, and turned to face Lucius without waiting for a command.  
He laid his hand on the cloth and looked carefully at his father.  
"May I?"  
Lucius viewed him curiously but seemed content with the initiative.  
"Why, certainly. And why don't you do this on your knees when you're at it?"  
"Yes, why don't I?" Draco answered and did as suggested.  
He had this twinge of pleasure from wiping his own blood off from his father's member and by the look of the flesh hardening and growing, Lucius did not mind all that much either. Every now and then Lucius wiped the wet hair out of Draco's eyes as he worked with great concentration.  
"There might be certain relations I need to uphold at the ball, Draco."  
"You mean others that you fuck occasionally?" Draco said surprised over how hurt and angry he felt suddenly. The jealousy was stabbing his heart like poison and he fought to remain calm.  
"Would you mind much?" Lucius asked, smiling down provokingly at him.  
Draco felt his cheeks burn and did not answer. Lucius laughed quietly in amusement.  
"Very few people deserve that honour, Draco." He said. "Not even my wife has access to that pleasure and certainly nobody outside the family. But one can always hold people chained to you by unspoken promises."  
"Is that so?"  
"Real intimacy means revealing weakness."  
"So this must mean that I can do the same."  
"Pardon me?"  
A familiar fist gripped his hair and pulled his face up. Lucius was not smiling anymore and Draco took a dark pleasure from hurting him back.  
"Well, you would not want me to disgrace the family name, do you?" Draco said with an innocent voice. "What would people think if your son did not live up to the natural knack for manipulation and seduction that is said to be so characteristic for our family?"  
That shark smile appeared on his father's face again, warning Draco from pushing it further.  
"You will not want to try me in these matters." Lucius stated and pushed Draco's head closer to his sex. "Have you cleaned everything properly?"  
"I might have missed a spot, one second…" And Draco took the hard member into his mouth and sucked, not at all surprised about where the conversation had ended.  
Lucius let out a deep sigh of satisfaction and leaned himself casually against the wall as Draco continued to please him. It was sort of nice feeling the organ swelling even more in his mouth, becoming harder and ready.  
"You are really good at this, Draco." Lucius whispered. "If I did not know better, I'd thought you've taught yourself this in your dormitory at school."  
A horrible imaginary scene flashed through Draco's mind, involving Crabbe, Goyle and Edwin, but he suppressed it quickly not to lose his own rising desire.  
The small spasms in his father's sex gave him a warning that it was time, but suddenly Lucius pulled his head away and pressed him up against the wet marble wall, so that Draco was forced to lock his legs around Lucius waist to support himself.  
"I better make sure that you can really feel enough…loyalty at the ball." Lucius breathed and forced his wet sex into Draco's sore and aching opening.  
After much writhing and protesting from Draco, Lucius simply pressed his hand against the younger Malfoy's mouth and pushed inside.  
Draco had never in his life experienced pain like this. Stars seemed to explode in front of his eyes and brutal invasion felt more like a conquest than an act of sex.  
His tears mixed with the sprinkling water and the muffled cries had no effect on the situation at all. It tore him apart psychically to deal with it, on top of everything that happened with his mother and all.  
And to his horror, the overwhelming need to let the tears out took over and suddenly he could not have stopped the flow even if he would have wanted to. Everything became too much!  
Lucius stopped moving inside him abruptly and Draco was sure it would get a lot worse, judging from how many tears he had spilled in so little time.  
His father frowned and looked him in the eye for one breathless second.  
If he did not stop crying like an idiot, he would be punished within moments, or even worse: thrown out!  
But the hand was removed from his mouth and Draco put his arms around Lucius and buried his face in his shoulder, unable to do anything else.  
"Schh, Draco…" Lucius whispered in his ear. "You are stronger than this, aren't you?"  
"Yes, father." Draco managed to get out between the tears. "I'm sorry…"  
This was dead embarrassing!  
"Don't worry about it." Soft kisses landed on his cheeks, eyelids and mouth. "I like it when you cry."  
Draco could not help but to let out a short laugh despite the pain. This unexpected, perverted frankness from his father had a strange calming effect on him and it was said with that special glint in the eye that made it impossible not to fall head over heels for his bestial charms.  
"You are a monster." Draco whispered, feeling how the tears started to ebb away.  
"I'm honoured." Lucius smirked and licked his tear-stained cheek with one long stroke with the tongue. "And what about you, Draco?"  
"Just take me." Draco whispered, with the most seductive voice that he could manage under the circumstances, and nibbled at his father's earlobe.  
The call was not unheard.  
Lucius eyes got that glazed look and he ran his fingers through Draco's wet hair while starting to move inside him again, with slow but determined thrusts.  
"You feel this, Draco?"  
Draco swallowed not to scream.  
"Yes, father." He gasped.  
"You are so tight." Lucius whispered and licked his lips like a hungry wolf. "You like this, don't you?"  
Lucius started to touch his sex and ran his thumb and forefinger along its full length, causing Draco to grow stone hard and prepared for a new climax in no time. The quick change of feelings was confusing and dazzling and it made him lust all the more for the outcome.  
His senses were burning to receive his father's greed, to be the object of his lust and satisfaction. It was a sublime, dark game to play, acting like his father's little whore.  
"Don't stop, father." Draco whispered, drugged on the pleasure rather than the pain.  
Lucius worked him faster and thrust harder, so that Draco's buttocks kept slamming against the hard, slippery wall.  
"What do you want me to do?" Lucius asked demandingly.  
"Fuck me, father!" Draco breathed, completely out of his mind with the urge.  
"I can't hear you." Lucius hissed.  
"Fuck me hard, father!" Draco shouted, sounding more like a loud moan.  
This was the real test for the silencing spells but he really did not care if anyone heard it. The thought of someone listening enflamed him even more!  
Lucius came inside him with violent thrusts and a still moment followed where only their gasps were heard.

Draco was still hard and frustrated, but Lucius drew out of him and let him down to his feet. It was really difficult just standing up right now and he was grateful when Lucius swept him up and carried him the few yards to the bath.  
He was put down by the edge of the bath, still standing with Lucius before him. His father had one of those content smiles on his lips again and stroke a finger slowly against Draco's small, battered hole.  
Draco jumped and was about to protest, but the finger disappeared before he had the chance and was held before his eyes. It was coated in fresh blood, mingled with something that Draco presumed was his father's seed.  
"It's your virgin blood." Lucius said, with badly hidden pride. We better mend that little scratch, hm?"  
Draco only nodded, exhausted and desperate beyond all sense. Lucius kissed him teasingly with the tongue, caressing his hips and buttocks in a way that made his hand close around his needy sex on instinct.  
His father gave him a hard slap on the hand at once and Draco withdrew it with a start.  
"Not yet, my precious little prince." Lucius reproached him, reaching for his wand.  
Draco was directed to turn around and a few spells later, the pain was a little number, but still lingering in the background. The wand was put aside again and Lucius stepped down into the warm water, pulling Draco's hand to make him follow. Draco followed every direction as if he was in a trance, thinking that he would go mad if he did not get release soon.  
Lucius seated himself comfortably and leaned back against one of the corners, while placing Draco in his knee, pushing his back and head against his chest.  
Draco felt his father's somewhat still hard member under his buttocks, feeling a strong wave of arousal leap through him. Lucius put an arm around Draco's waist and used his free hand to caress Draco's balls, as whimpers and moans escaped the younger Malfoy's lips.  
"Now, touch yourself and remember what I just did to you." Lucius whispered, his lips tickling pleasantly against Draco's ear.  
It was all too easy obeying this command.  
Draco started to please himself, at first distracted by the fact that his father was watching and then genuinely turned on by it.  
He could not have held out for longer than thirty seconds before he felt the pre-ejaculation spasms. By then he was so high on it, the seed gushed out in a lot richer quantities than he was used to, emptying him completely. And Lucius just kept licking his ear, his organ twitching as Draco groaned 'oh father!' through it all.  
When it was over Lucius put both arms around Draco, who felt lost in the mists of the climax, and gave him unexpectedly tender kisses and strokes.  
Draco was still trembling against his father's warm body, taking in the salty smell of it and revelling in the long-awaited gentleness.  
"You are really beautiful, Draco."  
Draco winced with pleasure.  
"Thank you." He murmured against Lucius chest.  
"Fall asleep if you like. I'll carry you back to bed."  
"Not to my room." Draco whispered.  
"Of course not."  
Draco made a content sound and pressed his head closer to Lucius chest for a moment. He could not remember being this relaxed ever in his life. He felt complete in an odd sort of way and the pain his mother had caused seemed to be but a small cut on a parchment.  
"Draco?"  
"Hm?"  
A few seconds of silence followed.  
"Never mind. Go to sleep."  
And Draco did as told, not reflecting over what the short silence might have meant until much later.


	10. The Traitor's Dance

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y.

If there are any of my dear readers left, you probably wondered if my thumb had gone stuck in a dark narrow place or something and it almost had. The inspiration has been, as you all have noticed, zero for months.  
A writer's nightmare! (shivering all over)

BUT! The last chapter's up as the magic finally returned! Back from the dead! So, in this one we take farewell of the Malfoys and leave them to whatever fate awaiting, as is the best to do with that family, which you all know. And the magic returned thanks to reviewer **Courtney, **who offered me cookies. Send her a rose or two, will you?  
And since this is the last one, I have answered all reviews on the latest chapter after the story. If there's too much questions after this (I wish!), I will write answers, labelling it as chapter eleven.

The reviews have been dropping in continuously and I can not enough express how happy you've made me with your commentaries to each chapter. It's been a true pleasure and lots of fun! I owe you guys and gals. Hm. I owe you enough to present a chapter of twenty pages, which in my case, is very long. So, a thousand bad excuses that it took me so long to finish and I can only hope you'll enjoy the chapter…see you in the epilogue!

Yours truly, Redfern

**25TH DECEMBER, PART TWO: THE TRAITOR'S DANCE**

There was a moment between waking and dreaming when everything was perfect.  
The pillows and covers were perfectly soft against him and a warm body was pressed against his back, his father's arm protectively around his waist and this sweet exhaustion lingering…  
And then the morning pulled him into merciless ache in a multitude of muscles and a mouth dry as a desert.  
He opened his eyes and discovered a newly added bottle of fresh water by his bedside.  
Lucius was apparently still asleep and Draco did his very best to be smooth as a thief not to wake him as he reached for the bottle and lifted his head to remain half-sitting, supported on his elbow.  
The water made all the difference.  
Soon all the comfort of the bed came rushing back and Draco turned, only to lie down again beside Lucius, burying his face in his father's shoulder.  
And slowly, as delicate as an insect, he felt Lucius' fingers play along his spine, softer and with more tenderness that Draco ever had thought his father capable of.  
Draco relaxed into it and answered with a few light kisses on Lucius' neck. Soon the hand on his back moved up to caress his hair and their lips met, Draco taking a shivering pleasure from the heat the kiss caused between his loins. Their tongues moved slower against each other now, as if they tried to memorize the other's shape and taste.  
Lucius used his other hand to caress Draco's thighs, his buttocks, the small of his back and Draco pressed himself willingly against the warm body, feeling how his growing erection responded to the touch.  
And this time it all went so soft and smooth…Lucius hand slowly making its way down Draco's stomach, whose skin prickled in response, and the hand manipulating, teasing, while their mouths were still locked together. Draco's small moans and sighs that were stifled by his father's mouth and then the hand guiding his to Lucius' larger sex, directing the smaller hand to do as desired before leaving it to its own devices.  
Draco could not remember when his other hand became involved in pleasing his father as well. The place and event seemed to swirl somewhere far out of time and space. All that mattered was this raging hunger that seemed unable to be stilled.  
And then that overheated tension snapped into delirious pleasure, leaving warm wetness on his stomach and over his father's hands and a moment later, Draco's hands was soaking wet from the evidence of Lucius' release as well. The kiss continued and Draco realised, as his breathing settled down, that they had never stopped kissing even once during the entire act.  
When the kiss was finally broken, Lucius rolled over on his back and Draco snuggled close to him immediately, resting his head on his father's arm while his hand snuck up on Lucius' chest.  
It was dead quiet between them and Draco anxiously peeked up to survey Lucius' face. His father seemed to be in deep thought, his eyes fixed on the roof and his free hand absently stroking Draco's arm.  
This was a classic dilemma. Draco wanted nothing more than to break the uncomfortable silence, just to be reassured that everything was alright between them but he knew just what sort of miscalculation that could turn out to be and kept quiet.  
Hoping that Lucius was not having second thoughts about last night.  
Wishing that he was not already bored with their secret.  
Praying he would not be thrown out and sent back to his room with no further sign of affection.  
"We are expected for breakfast in less than an hour."  
Draco had a small start at the words and frowned.  
Was that it? Had Lucius spent his time thinking about the arrangements for breakfast?  
Draco felt insulted but chose not to show it.  
"Should I go back to my room and get ready, then?" He suggested, more than a little disappointed.  
Lucius turned his head to look at him and displayed an unexpected smirk.  
"Not just yet, I think." Lucius whispered and stroke a few strands of Draco's hair neatly in place. "There are washing facilities in here after all, if you remember."  
Draco could not help but flashing a mischievous, dark smirk back. Of course he remembered. If nothing else, the throbbing pain in his nether regions was reminding him constantly of it.  
The bathroom visit turned out to be nothing like the hot but violent activities that had taken place there hours ago. They were both in the shower together, letting the warm water wash off any evidence of the night. Lucius took his time making sure Draco was properly cleansed and by the time he had finished, Draco was ready for another tumble between the sheets.  
But Lucius only smiled sadistically at the younger Malfoy's physical reaction to the caresses of the sponge and wrapped a towel around him instead.  
"You need to get dressed now." Lucius whispered, giving him a light kiss on the forehead.  
Draco sighed in frustration and looked up at his father's face to scan it for any possible openings to discuss the matter.  
It was no surprise to be met with an uncompromising frown.  
"Right." Draco said, accepting defeat. "I guess I know what to do about it myself anyway."  
Lucius hand was on his cheek and he kissed the pale fingers before turning to go. He had no time to reach the bathroom door before his father had grabbed him by his upper arms and pressed him against the tile, holding him steady through a very fierce kiss.  
Then all of a sudden he was free again and Lucius reached for the door handle himself to hold the door up while Draco stood gasping.  
"You better leave at once." Lucius demanded.  
Draco made his way out with a content smirk, giving Lucius an evil glare.  
"See you at breakfast, father."

The breakfast went down as the most pleasant one in Malfoy manor history that Draco had ever experienced, at least to begin with.  
It was easier than ever to keep the perfect face up and the usual tension concerning what fault Lucius might find in his behaviour was more than relieved since last night. It was not that he expected his father to drop his constant striving for perfection in his surroundings, but it was just not as frightening anymore. Or, rather, the fear had taken a very pleasant turn…  
Everyone was in their best morning robes in the presence of Christmas and to illustrate the importance of the day, several chandeliers were lit on and around the table, giving off tiny magical silvery showers of snow.  
And then there was the elf choir.  
A frightened quartet of house elves, adorned with all sorts of glittery gadgets you could find in a Christmas tree, stood in a corner of the dining room to accompany the breakfast with some traditional Christmas Carols. They were extremely careful not to sing too loud as to disturb the conversation, knowing what cruel punishments that would await them afterwards.  
Draco had heard all those songs hundreds of times, all from_ Solar invictus sacrifice _to _Lit the heathen bonfires.  
_Only this time they had a soothing and cheering effect he had never felt before. Maybe this was the first time he actually experienced a true Christmas spirit.  
At least until Pansy opened her mouth.  
"Did you enjoy yourself last night, Draco?" She whispered with a casual voice, while reaching after an orange in the large silvery bowl.  
Draco froze for less than a second before realising that there was no way she could know what she was talking about.  
"Maybe I did." He whispered back with poisonous malice. "So what are you going to do about it?"  
"Really, Draco." She answered in the same low, chilly voice. "Why should I do anything? It seems that you've dragged yourself down way below all dignity." She held him under a steady gaze while peeling her orange. "Who could have imagined? But I guess nobody else would have you, being the disgusting creep you are."  
Draco heightened an eyebrow and prepared to strike back, but all words seemed to leave his mouth as Pansy very slowly and calculating turned her head towards the short end of the table, where his parents sat, before giving Draco a meaning glance.  
Draco focused all his strength to keep his face. She would not have the pleasure of sending him into panic! But it was impossible, the things she claimed to know. His father had been so careful with security. It did not make sense!  
And the mere shock of imagining Pansy to have viewed their nightly activities was enough to get really sick…!  
Had she seen them sneak up to Lucius' office and kiss before they went in? The blood in Draco's veins turned to ice at the thought. But there was no other way she could know, was there?  
"Draco? Are you feeling all right?"  
It was Narcissa's voice and Draco turned his head slowly to face his mother.  
He could see Lucius beside her, heightening an eyebrow in his usual bored expression that came on whenever Draco's health was discussed. But a quick glance straight at Draco, lasting less than a heartbeat, made the younger Malfoy's entrails dance around in an odd, exciting way.  
"I'm fine, mother." Draco replied with a shaky smile.  
"You look awfully pale." She pressed.  
"Well" Draco said, gaining more strength in his voice. "I am a Malfoy after all."  
At this, civilised laughter broke out around the table and Narcissa dropped the matter.  
Draco smirked in his usual self-assured manner, but had to use all his self-control, including some reserves, to keep up the perfect surface. Breakfast was about to warp into full horror and he could do absolutely nothing, not even when Pansy leaned across the table with a sweet smile and whispered to him in a triumphant voice:  
"I have you now."

The manor was in great turmoil as house elves and wizard decorators swarmed the public rooms, creating a setting of unearthly beauty for the arriving guests. The ballroom floor was enchanted to look like a frozen sea, with glimpses of impressive creatures such as sharks and octopuses underneath its surface. The walls became snow white, as if a million icicles had grown together and turned into a sparkling, magical cave. And from the ceiling high above the dance floor hung the real icicles, transparent diamond stakes catching the flames from over a hundred candles to create an impressive lightshow.  
And the real beauty about it was that all the portraits and weapons on the wall was still fixed in place as if the manor had never been anything else than this winter world.  
Draco was in his room to change clothes for the evening, fingers shaking slightly as he fastened the silver clasp on his new oxen blood robes. After the traditional opening of the expensive Christmas gifts, he had started to realise the importance to go through with his plans for Pansy. The idea was to make his father jealous enough at the ball to get a reason for getting rid of her.  
There was no time and place to scheme and yet Draco's mind had worked on high speed during every moment of the day to get a grip and prepare for the waiting assault from Pansy. He more or less expected her to walk through the door with blackmail intentions when she actually did.  
At first Draco did not hear the door open and suddenly she was just standing there, a reflection in his mirror that turned out to be very real.  
"What can I do for you, Pansy?" He asked formally without giving her as much as one look.  
"No, Draco." She replied haughtily. "The question is: What can I do for you? Should I smack your reputation up real bad, or maybe destroy it completely?"  
"Don't be silly, Pansy. You only think you know something."  
Pansy snuck up next to him, leaning against the huge mirror.  
"So, what do I think I know, then?"  
"You tell me." Draco shrugged.  
Pansy shot him a very unnerving smile.  
"Are you sure you would not die from the embarrassment, Draco? Caught with a parent. Yuk!"  
Draco turned to face her now, feeling a different kind of cold creeping up his spine. When it came to Lucius, it was the one thing Pansy could not be allowed to destroy, no matter how severe the losses.  
"I always knew your family was completely fucked in the head." Pansy continued. "My parents told me very early you see, about keeping my face no matter what weird, mental things I heard and saw when I was here."  
"Did they, now?" Draco answered in a low voice.  
Maybe he should just strangle her and hide her in the closet right now. But he had to restrain the fury. They would miss her downstairs at the ball and it wasn't worth it, getting into all that trouble, even if his father certainly would find a way to clear him from all suspicion.  
Or was it?  
"I'll give you this, Draco. You certainly uphold the family reputation."  
"Just get to the point, Pansy." Draco sighed, trying to sound bored.  
"Isn't it clear enough? Well, you always were a bit slow, with your big ego dimming your sight."  
Pansy took a step closer to him, making it even harder not to slip his fingers around her neck.  
"You just do as I say when I say and the silence is reassured." She announced.  
Now Draco could not help but smirk.  
"You're an infant, a twat!" He replied mockingly. "Nobody will believe you!"  
"Ah, but I have proof." She claimed, raising her eyebrow. "And by the way, never, ever use that language to me again if you want me to stay quiet."  
"What proof do you think you have?" Draco replied in disbelief.  
"A parchment…" She began.  
"A parchment!" Draco echoed, unimpressed.  
"…And _photographs_."  
The room was dead silent for a few moments. Pansy smiled with superiority and Draco's smirk froze on his lips and faded slowly.  
"You're lying." He whispered.  
"Am I?" Well, you have another parent who might want to have the pictures in an envelope by dinner, right where the welcoming speech should be."  
There were no more words spoken between them, for at that moment the door opened again and Lucius stood in the doorway.  
Draco's heart made a terrified leap, before he realised that Pansy probably would die before confronting his father with it.  
"See you at dinner." Pansy smiled and walked out, gaining a suspicious frown from Lucius that she probably did not notice at all.  
Draco realised what could come out of it and made an effort to relieve the tension immediately.  
"She just keeps hanging after me." He sighed. "But she has nothing for it."  
"Really?" Lucius said coolly and shut the door.  
Draco raised an eyebrow at his father's dead serious face.  
"_Really, _father."  
Draco couldn't stop an amused smirk from rising, but it disappeared as quickly as it arrived when Lucius locked the door and whispered the right words for a silencing spell, without taking his eyes from Draco.  
This was definitely the time to talk about Pansy's insinuations, but something told him that it was going to be harder than it seemed.  
Lucius approached him calmly and gripped Draco's chin with a gloved hand.  
It was wicked feeling the smooth, thin leather against the skin. It was a turn on out of nowhere and the slight fear of what his father would do was as thrilling in that forbidden way.  
"Father." Draco managed to breathe. "We need to talk."  
"Do we?"  
Suddenly Draco's back was slammed into the wall and a fierce kiss stopped any words from leaving his mouth. He moaned slightly, it could not be helped, and then they were in his desk chair, Lucius placing himself there, while arranging Draco in his lap, facing his father while straddling over his thighs.  
The grip around Draco's hips was very hard and he did not doubt for a second that it would leave bruises. It was dizzying, just imagining what could happen in that chair, but this thing with Pansy, it was too serious…  
"She knows something." Draco whispered and then let out a startled sound as Lucius teeth claimed a fresh tender spot on his neck and sucked.  
It swept him away enough to press his growing erection against his father's, enough to let the gloved hands open up his robes just enough to leave him ready for entrance. A leather covered finger was already playing there, at the gates of pleasure and he responded the little he could as his hands were guided behind his back and held there with one firm grip.  
"Father, please!" He gasped, but he was not sure whether he meant 'father, please, we need to talk' or 'father, please, take me'.  
It became evident that Lucius was not going to thwart his plans at any rate as he suddenly took hold of Draco's hip again to press him down over his newly unfolded erection.  
"That's it, take it!" Lucius hissed and it was small mercy that there was something applied to make it a little less painful.  
Of course, it still hurt like hell, as Draco was sore from yesterday and it took a lot of whimpers and moans before it filled him up completely and held him firmly in place.  
There it was again, that feeling of being completely conquered, invaded and this time, weightless. But the pain…!  
He tried to move his hips a little, only to adjust, but Lucius still held his hands firmly and caught Draco's buttocks with his free hand.  
"Go on." Lucius ordered him. "Move."  
Draco's face was burning hot, he was most likely blushing severely and the hurting and the excitement overcame him. The only way to get release in any way was to do as told and he did, but not without tears streaming down his cheeks that his father licked every now and then.  
How could this get him going so much? He winced and got harder from the leather stroking his buttocks, his back and the nape of his neck as he moved, deeply impaled on his father's sex.  
Maybe Pansy was right about the thing with his family being completely fucked in the head. What did it matter? It was their business after all. They were Malfoys and the less people knew about their internal matters, the happier these people were.  
He was aching to come, almost crying and gasping about that more than the pain. And as an answer to his prayers, the leather glove moved to stroke him right there. Draco gratefully moved fiercer, forcing the hard limb to slide in and out of him despite the increasing pain and Lucius ceased the stroking just for the second it took to pinch Draco's nipple real hard.  
Draco cried out from it and opened his eyes, not realising they had been shut until now. His father's eyes were slits that seemed to glow in the dusky room and when the leather fingers worked him again, his mind went blank.  
"Oh, father…father…"  
Lucius suddenly thrusted into him very hard and Draco screamed aloud from it, coming at the same time. His entire body responded and for those delirious moments it was impossible to separate the pain from the pleasure. They were the same thing entirely, just like him and his father.  
The same.  
Then he was falling back to reality and Lucius lifted him off, separating them.  
Draco stood leaning against his desk with trembling legs, trying to get the giddiness under control. Lucius was getting his robes in order, putting everything in its place and Draco followed the example with unsteady hands.  
"Pansy knows about us."  
It was probably not the best time to bring it up, but it had to be said before Lucius left the room. His father was a pragmatic person, he should understand.  
"Does she?" Lucius said, as if responding to a commentary about the weather.  
"Yeah." Draco confirmed and was surprised to see a playful smirk meeting him.  
"Intriguing."  
"She claims she has pictures."  
At this, Lucius gave him a sunny smile and took hold of Draco's upper arms, leaning down to nibble at Draco's lower lip.  
"What are on these pictures, I wonder?" Lucius whispered in his ear. "You, all spread out on the bed, being taken from the front and from behind? Maybe she even caught the appealing detail of your blood soiling the sheets?"  
Draco felt his blush keeping back on but said nothing. Why had not his father flied into a rage over the information?  
"We should…" Draco began.  
"No." Lucius cut him off. "I'd like her to have these pictures and you are to remain calm about it."  
Before Draco could answer back, Lucius coaxed him into a deep kiss and then left the room quickly. Draco stood staring at the door for a moment before resuming his dress-up for the evening.  
This night was going to be quite something to remember, for sure.

"Good evening, aunt Bellatrix."  
"Good evening, Draco, dear! You look smashing!"  
"Thank you, aunt. So do you!"  
The right smile was applied. She moved on.  
Professor Snape was greeted by his parents in the doorway. He was going to reach Draco within seconds. And tonight Draco had strived and attained perfection. His behaviour, his clothes and his good looks and whatever. All was in place. Only, he walked slightly stiffer than usual, but nobody but Lucius would see it or care to look for the signs.  
"Good evening, Draco."  
"Good evening, professor Snape!" Draco shot him a friendly smile.  
"All is well with you, I trust?"  
Snape raised an eyebrow in polite curiosity, but Draco could see him scanning for something in Draco's face. What was this all about? He had not forgotten to cover up any marks this time. There was nothing to see…and then it came to mind that Severus was an occlumency-expert.  
"It's perfect! See you in the great hall!" Draco smiled and quickly turned to the next guest.  
"Minister Fudge! What a pleasure…!"

The Great hall was truly a wonder to behold.  
And with all the visitors mingling in their expensive, tasteful robes, creating a colourful contrast to all the white and diamond-sparkling surroundings, the interior design was truly complete. Narcissa had received a thousand compliments for the idea already and after dinner, which was the smoothest one Draco have had in days, the table and chairs disappeared into thin air, leaving small showers of glistening snow in its wake. The guests were mightily impressed as usual and most of them were in a very good mood, since they worked for or sympathized with the Dark Lord, who was on the move.  
Draco found himself wondering what Lord Voldemort was doing this evening, at Christmas. Was he invited and would he come if he was? Maybe he was celebrating with other dark lords…The thought became too crazy and Draco fought back a smile while suppressing the thought. Such ideas could cost a lot if somebody read his mind.  
The orchestra was ready soon enough and opened the ball with traditional melodies from the early times of Merlin and Morgaine. The grown ups hit the dancefloor immediately (save for professor Snape, who rarely danced) and two or three songs were passing as Narcissa and his father danced with each other…looking truly in love. The deep, intimate looks they shared and Lucius hand on her back, too far down…  
"DRACO!" Pansy was sliding across the floor in her stunning silk dress robes with a few girlfriends tailing after her.  
She looked perfectly charming and nothing in her behaviour could ever reveal that they where anything else than boyfriend-girlfriend, dating, in love. Draco forced himself to receive her the same way and as she embraced him graciously and kissed him on the cheek, he did the same, whispering 'slut' in her ear with a loving smile.  
She introduced her friends and Draco did everything to charm them, which turned out to be real easy. They were almost drooling after a few charismatic smirks and clever remarks.  
"Dance with me, Draco!" She urged and Draco offered her arm to her as the trained gentleman he was.  
But suddenly another arm shot between them and Lucius stood there, smiling down at Pansy.  
"Do you mind to do me the honour?" Lucius asked politely. "I think it is time that I let my wife go and share her with others."  
Draco could hear the meaning in the way Lucius expressed his words, but he doubted that Pansy did.  
"I'd be delighted, Mr Malfoy!" Pansy shone and strode out to the dance floor.  
Draco was left with a strange stab in his chest as he saw them walk out into the dance. Dark poison seemed to flood his veins. What was this?  
Reason said that his father was only acting as expected, but the other darker voice in him was full of suspicion.  
Perhaps Lucius had a taste for young blood. Maybe he simply aimed to fuck as many of Draco's friends and enemies at school as possible.  
No, he did what he had to, right? But he eyed Pansy very strangely and then it struck Draco like a poisoned knife in the back. He was flirting with her!  
But his father had said he weren't touching anybody except family…and he might as well have lied about that.  
Well, he was not going to stand there as a loser with Pansy's cute but mindless friends. There was heavy stuff needed now to get Lucius' attention, he knew that.  
It did not take long until he had found Mrs MacNair who seemed to cast appreciating glances and he pulled his big moves on her. The husband was nowhere in sight. Perfect.  
She was gorgeous, this wife, midnight black hair and dark brown sensual eyes, with a heart-shaped face and delicious lips and when Draco asked her to dance she was more than eager to agree to it. As the orchestra started to play a new tune, several of the older guests clapped their hands and suddenly everybody seemed to be on their feet, ready to dance.  
"Do you know this one?" Mrs MacNair asked with a hungry smile.  
"I can't say I've heard it." Draco replied politely, his eyes wandering to keep Lucius in sight.  
"Then remember this: It is called the Traitor's Dance." She explained. "When the music stops in the middle of the song, it will be gone for only a few seconds before continuing. During the short silence you will leave me and steal somebody else's dancing partner. If you fail to find someone before the music starts, both you and the girl being left over must leave the dance floor. But be attentive. Sometimes other men try to sneak into the dance, leaving too few ladies to find. Be quick!"  
"I will!" Draco smiled.  
Moments later they were whirling in the dance and Draco found it hard to keep his face while Mrs MacNair's hands were wandering down to place themselves on his ass. Maybe he had underestimated her, but what did it matter? The music would break at any moment and then Draco would run for it, to safer arms.  
And…there! Swift running was heard and some laughter and then Draco was caught up with aunt Bellatrix.  
"Draco dear!" She purred as the music started again. "You have really grown during the autumn!"  
No, really! What was this thing about relatives making moves on him?  
"So have you, aunt Bellatrix." He replied and left her with a frozen face as the music stopped again.  
This time he got stuck with his mother.  
Fortunately, she did not make any strange moves, but danced as correctly as it would be expected of a Mrs Malfoy.  
"Pansy has gone upstairs, Draco." She informed him. "Have you been fighting again?"  
"No, mother." Draco lied, feigning surprise.  
"You should go after her. People talk."  
"Yes mother, I will." Draco smiled and had no intention about doing so at all.  
But as he danced, he could see neither Pansy nor Lucius!  
A quick glance to the stairs revealed them disappearing hand in hand upstairs, just out of sight.  
No way! It was time to leave the dance floor as soon as the music stopped again and commit patricide for all he knew!  
A red haze clouded his sight. He should win a prize for keeping his face up in a situation like this.  
It couldn't be true, it couldn't be true…  
The music stopped and he ran for it, out from the dance where people were feigning treachery, as if faking it was needed in this house!  
He headed for the stairs at a quick pace and almost crashed into Edwin, who appeared very suddenly before him.  
"Draco, wait!"  
"Move along, Edwin!" Draco hissed in a deadly voice.  
"No, I mean…"  
Draco started to walk up the stairs, closely followed by his schoolmate.  
"It's all right, I know about it!" Edwin panted, as he tried to keep an even pace with a furious Draco.  
"Know about what, Edwin?" Draco said in a warning voice.  
Had Pansy published his dirty secret in _The Quibbler_?  
Edwin followed Draco in silence until they reached the top of the stairs. As soon as Draco turned right and out of sight from the guests downstairs, Edwin ran to block Draco's way again.  
"About us." Edwin said firmly.  
And before Draco could even express his complete lack of understanding, Edwin reached to kiss him.  
Draco pushed Edwin backwards in pure shock and stared at his friend for a moment, who stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. What sort of a game was this? But Edwin's eyes looked genuinely hurt and scanned Draco's face for any response at all.  
And then it hit him.  
All the questions from Edwin about who had been giving him the mark on the throat, the inquiring about if Draco would take Pansy to the ball and all the chattering about Ministry Law for ages. Even daring Draco to stay during the spin the bottle-game. Edwin never wanted Pansy, it was Draco he had a crush on!  
"This is a bit too much at the moment." Draco stated and moved past Edwin.  
"But…!" Edwin protested behind him. "Pansy said that you had the same feelings and…"  
"Pansy is a disgusting, slimy whore who's going to die!" Draco snarled.  
"…and that we were to meet up here!"  
"What?"  
Draco turned and stared at Edwin.  
"Pansy said that you wanted to meet me up here." Edwin whispered and lowered his gaze to the floor.  
"Where?" Draco lowered his voice. Edwin was but a victim in whatever game was set and Draco was not intended to hit the junk pile with him anytime soon.  
"In your room." Edwin replied and got to his feet.  
Draco had never received such a hurt glare from anybody, but he could not think straight at this moment. He rushed to his room and drew out his wand.  
"_Alohomora!_"  
The lock clicked and Draco burst in to the waiting disaster.  
The bed was empty, but he heard noises from the bathroom. Deciding that a simple _Avada Kedavra _would not satisfy his blood thirst, he pulled a ritual knife out of a drawer before advancing into the toilet.  
He was no more than three steps inside when somebody grabbed him from behind and threw him right down to the floor by his wrist. He still had his knife in the caught hand and the attacker smashed his fist as hard as he could on his fingers, causing Draco to drop the knife with a howl.  
"Quiet!" A command rang out and Draco recognised the voice as well as the smell.  
It was Lucius. Draco held still for the moments it took Lucius to let him go. Then he rose from the floor and corrected his robes before aiming his fist at Lucius' face in the speed of lightning. His father had sidestepped and hit his elbow into Draco's temple before the fist found it's goal and Draco sank down to the floor again, gasping from the exploding pain in his head.  
"You…you're dead!" Draco pressed out.  
"I'm warning you!" Lucius snapped. "There is no time for all this, however thoughtful it was of you to show your affection with that knife."  
With this, he grabbed hold of Draco and dragged him out of the bathroom and further out of his private quarters.  
"I don't want to see you right now." Draco murmured, his full balance slowly returning from the blow.  
"You do not decide such things, Draco." Lucius replied in a warning voice.  
"What are we doing out here in the corridor? Are you going to kick the shit out of me here?"  
Lucius answered by slamming him into a wall again and pinning him there.  
"I will cut the hands off that Macnair-bitch!" He hissed in Draco's ear, using a rare voice that made Draco's blood chill. "As for you, you little promiscuous tramp, I'll flog your buttocks bloody until you no longer feel her imprint."  
Then he attacked Draco´s mouth and bit his lower lip so hard the blood rushed out immediately.  
"OW!" Draco yelled. "Where's Pan…"  
"Shut up!" Lucius demanded and pushed his tongue into Draco's mouth, starting to rip open parts of his robe.  
This was crazy and totally unlike his father. Draco was still boiling with anger and Lucius seemed to have lost his mind, making out with him in the hallway for all to see, clearly on his way into a penalty fuck!  
It was then he realised that somebody was watching them. Slowly, he managed to turn his head to get it confirmed.  
Narcissa stood less than twenty feet away from them, her delicate face ash grey and her often so arrogant face twisted into a mask of pure shock and horror.  
Lucius seemed to have noticed too, as Draco was released and left to support himself with one hand on the wall.  
"Mother!" Draco said in a strange, powerless voice.  
Narcissa's face remained carved in stone for a moment more and then the cold hatred trickled into it as she turned around and made quite an exit from the scene.  
Draco stared at Lucius for a moment, who looked strangely content and held a small coin in his hand. It made no sense.  
Then Draco started to follow her, even though it was still hard to walk properly.  
"Mother, wait!" He pleaded, not entirely sure why he needed to explain himself.  
She turned to him again, looking like a furious ice queen as she pointed her finger at him.  
"I knew it." She announced. "I knew it would end up like this, sooner or later. How long, Lucius? Since he was five…six? Perhaps younger?"  
"Oh, _please_!" Lucius protested, but he did not show any signs of real anger or insult.  
Narcissa turned to walk again and Draco could not have it.  
"Stop! Let me explain!"  
Draco heightened his voice in desperation, but Narcissa did not even bother to turn around as she answered him.  
"I don't care about your motifs or about you, Draco." She said in a horrifyingly cold voice as she headed for the stairs. "I've loathed you since you were born and I hope he has really hurt you, when making you one of his little whores!"  
Draco stopped short by the words, as if hit by an arrow. They were in the hallway with the balcony and the stairs leading down now and Narcissa hurried down the first footsteps with a determination Draco had rarely seen. He tried to get a word out, but all air seemed lost to him.  
Then a door opened just in front of him and Pansy stepped out, hurrying down the stairs just behind his mother.  
And then she pushed her.  
Time seemed to stand still as he saw Pansy reach her hands out and strike them hard into Narcissa's back. And she fell, trying at first to get a hold of the banister, but Pansy kicked away her hand and then she fell with a scream lasting no longer than her first hard encounter with the marble stairs. A sinister crack of bones shattering broke Draco's paralysis.  
"MOTHER!" Draco shouted and tried to run after her.  
At that moment he felt Lucius' hands on his shoulders, holding him back.  
"It's too late." Lucius whispered.  
Narcissa continued to fall, hitting the stairs several fateful times before rolling down to the floor far below them. Her neck seemed bent in a very unnatural way and from their view, Draco could see a small group of guests approaching the stairs. They were seconds away from discovering her corpse.  
Then everything seemed to happen at once.  
Pansy, who had so far remained unmoving on the staircase, watching her victim fall to a certain death, backed up again at the speed of lightning and cast Lucius a very strange glance before disappearing into the room she came from, shutting the door firmly behind her.  
Lucius drew Draco back and further down the hallway out of sight as the first screams rose from below.  
Draco was pushed and dragged all the way back to his room, despite wild attempts to break free and rush back. Finally Lucius caught his wrists with both hands and faced him, locking his sharp stone grey eyes with Draco's.  
"You need to stay at your room until you're calm." Lucius explained, surprisingly collected. "If you need anything, call for a house elf."  
"But…" Draco breathed, trembling from the shock.  
"No!" Lucius interrupted him. "You won't say anything reasonable at this moment. Do as I say!"  
Draco only nodded and went into his room, not taking his eyes from Lucius until he shut the door behind him.  
His heart was beating frantically and he had no intention of staying in his room. As soon Lucius presumably had gone out of reach he was going to open the door and find out what in Merlin's name he had just witnessed.  
Everything was spinning around him, like small pieces of a puzzle that did not fit together or made any sense.  
He took a few deep breaths and tried to gather his wits, fighting back the need to cry. It did not feel all that real yet and there was no time to get emotional. Where should he start?  
He fell back on his bed, completely exhausted, and stared up at the roof, trying one piece of the puzzle after the other.  
Who were involved?  
Pansy, Lucius and…Edwin? But his mother had wanted him to go after Pansy as well. Coincidence?  
Pansy knew stuff about Draco and his father, so why would she do it? Why Narcissa and not Lucius?  
Then it struck him. The evidence!  
He needed to get to Pansy's room and find it before she returned!

He ran out of his room and made sure to use a different way, as not to bump into anyone. There was a lot of noise coming from the stairs now, the music had stopped downstairs and he heard the voices of his father and professor Snape a bit louder than the others. He heard enough to learn that they were waiting for a doctor and some auror working the Christmas shift at the ministry. Fudge made attempts to organize people, commanding house elves to make strong cups of tea and so on.  
As soon as Draco reached Pansy's room, he locked the door firmly behind him, using several spells to keep it shut. He did not intend to get busted as he turned her room upside down.  
He searched methodically, fierce and feverish, after the blackmail material and finally as he started to open the frames of the paintings under a lot of protests from the portraits who refused to cooperate with him, he found it.  
A small envelope fell out and Draco caught it with his free hand and opened it hastily. It was a letter, directed to Pansy:

_Dear Miss Parkinson_

_I regret to inform you that your crush on my son must come to a halt.  
__I have noticed how your jealousy has affected some of our guests very unfortunately. I write to you now only to make it clear to you that my son Draco is already claimed and I will not tolerate any more assaults on my guests. If you try to touch my Draco again, you immature, silly little girl, I will personally rip your eyes out with my nails and I might have used them as a necklace if they weren't so ugly. Draco is mine and he prefers someone who is experienced and mature. And above all, we keep it in the family. You never stood a chance. This is the only warning you will have. If you ignore it, or try to show this letter to anyone, you will not leave this house alive._

_Sincerely yours, _

_Narcissa Malfoy_

Draco drew his breath as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The neat, artistic handwriting was recognised immediately.  
It was not his mother who had written this letter.

The auror and the doctors had left the house with his mother's corpse hours ago and as the night fell over Malfoy manor, fewer sobs were heard by the hour. Bellatrix was naturally still in one of the tea rooms, being consoled by at least a handful of sexy single death eaters. Draco had naturally made an appearance downstairs as Narcissa's body was carried away, standing beside his father with a brave face, trying to look pressed to his limits to remain calm in front of his dead mother. Lucius had looked so aggrieved that it almost seemed unreal to have seen him that calm and calculating as she fell. And Pansy had played the perfect little girl, sobbing with a pink handkerchief as her victim was announced dead by the doctors.  
But all the time there was just one thing in his mind and the opportunity for that would come as soon as most of the guests had gone to sleep or gathered in those groups downstairs who would not sleep this night.  
There was another one who would not sleep and who was supposed to mourn with his son in solitude. Draco made his way to Lucius' office at this time of night and entered without knocking.  
Lucius was sitting by his desk, letting the quill wander across the parchment with thoughtful ease. There was even a slight smile on his lips and he did not look as if he had shed a single tear during the entire night.  
He looked up as Draco entered, watching as the door was shut and locked and remained perfectly calm despite the unconventional entrance.  
"Draco." He said, never loosing that little smile. "You look a fright. Sit down and relax." Lucius dipped the quill in the inkbottle and scribbled a few more words down. "The show is over for today."  
Draco watched his father in silence from the door a second or two before approaching him with slow silent steps.  
Lucius hair hung loose as it often did at night and he still wore the feast robes, even though he undeniably looked a bit torn.  
Draco did not dare to think about how he looked himself, but at this moment he did not care. He was to full of thoughts eating his mind and his heart away, to full of confused emotions battling each other furiously.  
"You wrote the letter to Pansy." Draco stated. There was no feeling in the words. He felt too empty.  
Lucius continued to write while answering a bit distractedly.  
"Why, of course."  
"So…" Draco continued, slowly seating himself in the chair in front of the desk, staring intensely at Lucius. "…You conspired with Pansy to have me follow you and somehow you knew moth…Narcissa was coming up just in time for our little scene in the hallway."  
"Naturally."  
"So, you pretended to know about the fake relation between me and Narcissa and set out to take revenge on your wife for it as well as me, joining causes with Pansy. Perfect."  
Draco tried not to sound bitter but it was hard as small crumbles of feelings left from the day seemed to gather and rise.  
"What do you aim at?" Lucius asked, studying Draco more intensely now.  
"I want the truth from you. It is the least I deserve after all this."  
Draco folded his arms in a stubborn gesture, despite his vast exhaustion, and continued to glare at Lucius, determined not to step back.  
"So, what would you like to know?" Lucius said with an amused undertone in the words, as if deciding to play along.  
"Everything."  
"No, really…"  
"When did you send that letter? How long have you been conspiring with Pansy behind my back and what about the pictures?"  
"I sent the letter this morning and had Pansy at my office door quite early. The pictures was a lie, of course."  
"…and the timing with mother who showed up just as we…"  
"She had received a forged letter from one of her lovers, of course, to meet in your room for a tumble on your sheets. Just on time."  
Draco made a slight face at the suggestion of his mother using his bed for such purposes and Lucius' smile deepened. Nothing seemed to shake his father from his good temper and it angered Draco in a strange way, it made frustration creep under his skin in a way that almost called for forcing a reaction out of him.  
"The coin in your hand? While mother made it for the stairs?"  
"A magical way to give signal to Pansy's entrance. She had a similar coin with her."  
Draco sighed and looked down at his hands for a moment, inspecting his nails with no interest in them at all.  
"Mother told me to go after Pansy down at the dance, when you slipped away. If she saw Pansy, she must have seen you."  
There was a pause and Draco continued.  
"So, that means she wanted me to go after you out of jealousy, or simple obsessive control impulse. That would be so like her."  
"I suggest we leave this subject now, Draco."  
Lucius rose and walked over to a handmade, beautifully decorated cupboard from the middle of the last century and unlocked it.  
Draco only stared at him with contempt.  
"What do you mean, leaving the subject? Is there anything else to speak about?"  
"Well, for instance…" Lucius replied, "…there is the matter of the master bedroom being unattained for far too long…"  
His father was about to remove something from the cupboard, but Draco had no more patience left with the situation. He rose from his chair and felt unexplainably provoked.  
"And Pansy?"  
"I'll leave her out to the ministry soon enough. After all, I had placed surveillance crystals over the stairs and believe me, Draco, she will not say a word about me since she's under the imperious, but on the other hand she will love to spill out her sins to the aurors. Except the part with you and Narcissa, of course. All taken care of."  
"And I guess Edwin will fry to somehow for the distraction, whatever that was meant for." Draco murmured. "Did you ever think about what I was feeling about all this, that I might have wanted to…"  
But Lucius had stopped his ministrations by the cupboard and turned to Draco with a strange frown. He was not smiling anymore. Finally.  
"Edwin?" Lucius asked with a way too calm voice.  
Draco realised at this moment that Edwin had probably just been one of Pansy's sick little games and lost interest for the subject.  
"Never mind Edwin." Draco sighed.  
But it was a little too late to turn the conversation around. Lucius was approaching him slowly now, with a dangerous glint in his eyes.  
"I insist, Draco. Tell me about the distraction."  
"SO WHAT?" Draco suddenly shouted, unable to contain himself any longer. "What about your hand on my mother's ass while you danced, your kiss on her mouth in front of everyone and your slow dance with Pansy!"  
Lucius grabbed a hold of him and slammed him into a bookshelf, his fist firmly attached to Draco's hair.  
"The distraction, Draco. What about it?" Lucius said in a low, deadly voice.  
"Do what the FUCK you want!"  
Draco writhed and kicked, trying to get free, but Lucius seemed ready for murder or at least severe torture if he did not receive the information very soon and on instinct he chose to cooperate, if nothing else to get rid of the painful grip in his hair.  
"Right, so Edwin kissed me, but I pushed him away and that's all. Let me go!"  
But Lucius did not release him that easily.  
"Why did he kiss you?"  
"He's in love with me, who isn't? Except for you, that is." Draco spat out.  
Lucius let go of him immediately after that, glaring at Draco with angry calculation.  
Nothing could be kept inside anymore. A tear broke free and ran mercilessly down his cheek while he took several steps away from his father.  
"You care about nobody but yourself!" Draco tried to suppress the other tears at all costs now, leaning towards the anger instead. "And when you're done with me you'll dispose of me, as easily as you did with mother. And what was that she said about your other little whores?"  
"Did you think I was in celibacy for fifteen years?" Lucius whispered, but there was a clear warning in it.  
"I don't care!" Draco swallowed and cursed inwardly for the second tear coming through. "I don't care about you or any more of this! Have your games to yourself! I've had it with you!"  
Then he ran for the door, drawing his wand out to unlock it.  
"Draco!"  
"Don't talk to me!"  
The world was coming apart. He might as well flee or die on the spot.  
"Draco, stop!"  
"_Alohomora!_"  
A rift was opening inside of him, leaving devastating emptiness in its wake. He grabbed hold of the handle and opened the door to walk out, determined to never look back.  
"I love you, Draco."  
His legs refused to move. Not this weakness, no more of it! It had to be just another lie! And all he had to do was to turn around to see it in his father's face.  
Draco turned slowly, his stomach clenching at the expected disappointment. But there was no feigned calm in Lucius face, no calculating mildness in his features.  
Lucius stood rigid, as a pure embodiment of rage, glaring accusatively at Draco with a force that seemed unnatural.  
And Draco's anger transformed into a distant fog that could not be gripped. He blinked in confusion.  
"What?" He whispered.  
"You…heard…me." Lucius hissed, immediately striving to mend his pride. "Shut the door. Now."  
The door slid shut again with a clicking noise. But Draco remained fixed and could not take his eyes from Lucius or even less grasp what he had just heard.  
"Are you telling the truth?" Draco finally asked.  
Lucius face darkened.  
"How dare you?"  
But Draco could not be frightened at this moment. He was consumed with fascination, watching his father's reaction as he had just been forced to admit a weakness.  
"And what do you answer back?" Lucius demanded in a typical parental voice, with a badly restrained threatening undertone.  
Draco raised an eyebrow.  
"You know the answer, you heard it when you had tricked _veritaserum_ into me." He said in a low calm voice, deliberately creating a sharp contrast from Lucius' temper. "No, let's talk about you instead. Why do you love me? How?"  
"Why don't you come here and find out?" Lucius replied in a sweet, dangerous voice.  
"Maybe I should." Draco speculated, pretending to take his time to think for a second. "But then, perhaps you would need to calm down first."  
"Or…" Lucius countered, "…your survival instinct needs to improve."  
A smile slowly emerged on Draco's face. It was impossible to hold back. And just as he had thought he would never smile again. It was just too perfect, the dreaded Lucius Malfoy on the verge of an explosion, making a true effort not to lose control. All because of him.  
"I love you too, father." Draco replied, walked up to Lucius and put his arms around the older Malfoy in a tight embrace.  
Lucius hugged him back for nearly a second before he dragged Draco to the desk and wrestled him down on his back harshly, holding his hair in a firm grip.  
This time Draco fought back wildly, but he was not the least surprised at Lucius' strong reaction. When Draco's robes were finally torn off and his hands were caught, Lucius had gotten bitemarks and clawmarks on his arms and fingers.  
"I'll have you pay for this." Lucius informed him and Draco instantly knew he meant the love-word and not the fighting.  
Within seconds Lucius was inside him, this time with the punishing refusal to prepare Draco with that slippery helpful liquid. Draco howled with pain and tried to get free, but to know avail. Lucius forced himself all the way in and rode him so hard that Draco soon resorted to crying and begging underneath on that cold, polished desk. Lucius' nails dug into his skin at his wrists and the other hand clawed his bare stomach and thighs until blood was drawn. There was no concern at all for his pleasure and as his father finished and streams of blood ran from the battered opening, the younger Malfoy was simply pulled up and pressed against the wall with his buttocks bare and his hands twisted up in a painful position in his back.  
"When I said I was going to flog your buttocks bloody, I meant every word of it."  
Draco was dizzy from the pain and the shock and did his best to shape words between the sobs.  
"Father, please, I never…"  
"_Accio horsewhip!"  
_The force with which the whip was used was unexpectedly cruel. Draco was crying, screaming, begging and trying to catch his breath as the tender flesh of his buttocks became a bloody mess. He nearly lost his conscience several times and as Lucius had finished, Draco was hardly there anymore. He noted a bit drowsily that Lucius was lifting him up and soon he was resting on his stomach in that soft bed in the secret bedroom behind the office.  
But the pain was so sharp that it cut through all exhaustion and attempts to rational thoughts. There was nothing to do but to sob and moan about it, but Draco understood why it had happened. If he had been able to do the same to Lucius because of the dance with his mother, then he would have and worse!  
He felt his father's weight on the bedside and a cool hand was playing with his hair.  
"You will never again allow anybody but me to touch you like that."  
"Neither will you." Draco sobbed.  
"If somebody's hands wanders to the wrong place again, you will be held responsible for it."  
The voice was reprimanding but not stern and as Lucius joined him in bed, laying a protective arm over his back, Draco could breathe a little calmer. But sleeping was not to be hoped for.  
The pain was dimming a little by those tender kisses on his tear drenched cheeks and the hand stroking his hair softly. The fireplace was also lit and created a soft, pleasant heat that made up for Draco's inability to wear a cover. Finally he turned his head slightly and kissed the hand that was stroking him.  
"Now you've done it." Draco whispered, his voice weak from the strain. "There'll be no access on your behalf for at least weeks."  
"There are other ways." Lucius smirked and ran a finger across Draco's soft lips. "And if you behave truly magnificently, I might help it to heal."  
Draco glared cynically for an answer and moved slightly to lay his head closer to Lucius' chest.  
"This plan of yours." Draco murmured. "You figured it out this morning before breakfast when we were in bed."  
"Yes."  
"It was horrible." Draco whispered. "For a moment I thought all you cared about was breakfast."  
Lucius rewarded him with a smile at this and another kiss on the cheek.  
"You'll learn, I'm sure."  
Draco smiled back and dug his fingers into Lucius silvery hair. It was odd not to feel anymore remorse about his mother than he did and even weirder being content with the bad beating he had just received. Maybe this was what it meant to be a Malfoy. To really aim for the sweet destruction.  
As for Lucius and himself, it was all about them now. His father had mentioned the master bedroom earlier and they would most likely move in there as soon as the guests had left. And whether Lucius planned to keep fucking him through a month or forever, Draco would put his bets on the latter. For no matter what had been at stake before, Draco could not imagine that Lucius had ever handed a weakness out to anyone in his life before this evening.  
And Draco haddriven him to it.  
"Are you going to kill Edwin?" Draco whispered in the midst of the red pain.  
"As a matter of fact, I was just considering it." Lucius whispered back, stroking Draco over the hair and cheeks.  
If that was not affection, what was?  
"I love you, father."  
Lucius kissed him on the forehead and Draco allowed all his demons to settle down and sleep, just for now.  
A new world began tomorrow.

**THE END**

So, there it is.

Surely it's beautiful when two people share the same soul? ;-)

And now I'd like to ask you kindly to press the cute button below, you know which one, and give me your thumb up or thumb down. (Not that you haven't already spoiled me rotten with reviews). And as usual I would like to give my regards to you readers who really stayed through it all and suffered with the Malfoys and with my ambivalence at keeping the deadline here. And this time I have answered all 26 reviews. 26? Is that legal?

**Icarus Malfoy: **Vanilla in all honour, love, but doesn't this dark chocolate flavour look really tasty? winks. Thanks for your loyal service to the story. I owe you big!  
**Jellicos: **Well, almost had you jump through fire there, huh? Sorry about the long delay. Love you!  
**Michelle:** No critizism? Oh, I'll try to survive. (Feigns crying better than Pansy in my handkerchief) Thank you, dear!  
**Crystal 17: **Posting it on what, honey, posting it on what?  
**Andybear09: **Ha! You wrote 'catcha later!' That means you've practically signed up for another review and since the last one was so nice…(tries to look really needy)  
**Death of the endless: **Yeah, don't we all just LOVE to read between the lines in the Potter chronicles? Thanks, sweetiepie!  
**Imp110: **Wow…you read all nine on Christmas Eve? Didn't your Christmas get somewhat tainted by it? Could you look your parents in the eyes? Or did you love the stillness of your own holidays compared to Draco's?  
**Draco's first 101: **Pure Brill? (blushes). Aw, you had me at 'hello'.  
**Xx-Dani-xX: **And I made you wait forever, literally. Sorry. Hope it was worth a tiny bit of it. Kisses!  
**Mae: **Yeah and finally more came up. Hoped you liked it and thanks love!  
**Wicheania: **(Words cannot describe you! Kisses!)  
**Angelus McCauley: **LoL…don't drool on your keyboard, Angelus-cakes! But if you're half as twisted as me, you already have…  
**Courtney: **What can I say? Cookies always works. Hope you get lots of roses, love!  
**Malfoy's queen: **All is well, rest assured, and I really hope life is sweet to you too. Thanks for staying with me all the way! Big hug and kiss!  
**GaBoO: **Well, considering what you hoped for in your last review, I hope the chapter was not too disappointing. And I'm grateful beyond words for your stubbornness to stay through the story. You rock, GaBoO!  
**Katherine: **Oh no, now you've made me cry! Dry your eyes love! Of course I did not abandon you…(I tried, but they caught me on the way to Tahonga).:D  
**Xrictusempax: **Oh, So you're the one who's been standing outside my house, shooting at bypassers and my neighbours? I guess you moved back when you noticed that Sweden was not the place to be. You truly rock as a reviewer! My best wishes!  
**American brat: **Oh, yes, and I used to send you mails, right? And I'm sorry for being a lazy idiot to a degree where my mail account deleted itself. As soon as I've got any time to even mail my close friends, I swear I'll try to write a few lines and hope that you will not want to kill me. Thanks for reviewing! Weird was truly the word!  
**Dracomalfoychick: **And I love you too, honey! If I weren't gay I'd propose for your sweet reviews and if Lucius sees your nickname, he's going to come for you! Beware!  
**Kaji11: **Guess I burned you on the 'update soon'-subject. Sorry!  
**Tav Gal: **Well, the Malfoy stories never truly end, love. They just go to a special place where they live happily ever after. Promise!  
**A.O.T.I.F: **Aaw…(blushes.) No, YOU must be the best, feeding my ego like that!  
**Aleurier: **Sorry, I called your mom before I saw your review. ;P Nah…I bet she's out here under some strange nickname herself. Parents love Potter too! Thanks for reviewing, honey!  
**Desiree K Troy: **You are really too sweet! But hey…kicking me on the chin? Are you sure it won't just get me going, judging by the screwed up stories I write? Thanks for reviewing so faithfully and truthfully!  
**Mir: **Oh, my Gods…I'm afraid you've slayed quite a few while waiting, right? Bless their poor souls!  
**Impatient reader: **Well, finally! A reality check! Yeah, as soon as I saw your review I hurried to finish the story. I'm glad you took the time to show your appreciation to the story. Love! (And if you were on of the other nicks here, then you managed to get two answers. Congratulations!)


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